Can a Felon Vote in Arizona? Three Paths to Restore Rights

A person with a felony conviction can vote in Arizona once their civil rights are restored, but the conviction itself automatically suspends the right to vote in the meantime. Under A.R.S. § 13-904, a felony sentence strips several civil rights, including voting, jury service, and holding public office.¹ Whether restoration happens on its own or requires a court filing depends on how many felonies you have and where you were convicted.

What Happens to Your Vote at Conviction

The moment a court enters a felony conviction, your right to vote is suspended. You cannot vote while serving a prison sentence, while on probation, or while completing any post-release supervision.¹ Your prior voter registration is also cancelled. Even after your rights come back, you will need to register again from scratch.

One Arizona Felony: Rights Return Automatically

If you have a single felony conviction and it happened in Arizona, your civil rights, voting included, are restored automatically once you finish every piece of your sentence. That means completing probation or receiving an “absolute discharge” from imprisonment, plus paying all victim restitution the court ordered.²

Automatic means no judge has to sign off and no petition is required. It does not mean you receive a formal notice in the mail. The sentencing court is required to tell you at sentencing that your rights will be restored on completion, and the Department of Corrections must give you a copy of the sentencing order at absolute discharge.³ If you want a court order to point to, you can file an application to certify automatic restoration in the superior court. Maricopa County, for example, publishes a packet for exactly this purpose.⁴

One Federal or Out-of-State Felony: Guaranteed, but You Must File

This is where people get tripped up. If your single felony conviction came from a federal court or another state, restoration is guaranteed but not truly automatic. Arizona law says you are “eligible for automatic restoration,” but you still have to file an application in the superior court under A.R.S. § 13-908.² The court must grant it without a hearing and without a response from the state. A judge has no discretion to deny it.

File in the superior court of the Arizona county where you now live.⁵ Your sentence must be complete and all victim restitution paid. There is no filing fee.⁶

Two or More Felonies: A Judge Decides

With two or more felony convictions, restoration is neither automatic nor guaranteed. You must apply to the superior court, and the judge has full discretion.⁶

Before applying, you need a “final discharge” under the statute, meaning you have completed probation or received an absolute discharge from the Arizona Department of Corrections, a prison in another state, or the federal Bureau of Prisons.⁶ Every condition of your most recent sentence must be satisfied.

Where you file depends on where the convictions occurred:

Convictions in multiple Arizona counties: file a separate application in the superior court of each county where you were convicted.
Out-of-state or federal convictions: file in the superior court of the Arizona county where you currently live.

The clerk cannot charge a filing fee.⁶ You, your attorney, or your probation officer can file. The process can take several months, and approval is not certain. A clean record since the last conviction and evidence of community involvement help, though the statute does not list criteria a judge must weigh.

Do Not Register or Vote Before Your Rights Are Back

A mistake here can produce another felony conviction. Registering to vote while you know your rights have not been restored is a Class 6 felony, with a presumptive prison sentence of one year.⁷⁸ Casting a ballot while ineligible is a Class 5 felony, with a presumptive sentence of a year and a half.⁹ Federal law adds up to five years in prison for knowingly submitting a false voter registration under the National Voter Registration Act.¹⁰ Confirm restoration before you touch a registration form.

Confirming Your Rights Have Been Restored

If you had a single Arizona felony and finished every part of your sentence, including restitution, your rights should already be restored by operation of law. You still want documentation. Contact the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where you were sentenced, ask for a copy of your absolute discharge paperwork, and confirm restitution is paid in full. If you want an official court order, file an application to certify automatic restoration.⁴

If you went through the court application process, you should already have a signed order. Keep a copy. Your County Recorder’s office, which processes voter registrations, can also tell you whether state records reflect your restoration.¹¹

Registering Again After Restoration

Once your rights are confirmed, you have to submit a new voter registration. The old one was cancelled at conviction and will not come back on its own. Arizona lets you register online at azmvdnow.gov if you have an Arizona driver’s license or state ID, by mail using a form from the Secretary of State or your County Recorder, or in person at the County Recorder’s office. Paper forms are also available at MVD offices, public libraries, and city clerk offices.

2026 Deadlines

Arizona’s registration deadline is 29 days before Election Day. The 2026 primary is scheduled for July 21 and the general election for November 3, which puts the registration cutoffs in late June and early October.¹² Online registrations must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on the deadline. In-person and hand-delivered forms must arrive before close of business. Mailed forms must be postmarked by the deadline and received by the County Recorder within five calendar days after.¹³ If you are finishing a sentence in the months before an election, start the confirmation process early so paperwork does not cost you a ballot.

Firearm Rights Are a Separate Question

Getting your voting rights back does not restore your right to possess a firearm. Arizona treats these as separate restorations, and firearm rights follow a different timeline and process depending on the offense. If firearm rights matter to you, read A.R.S. § 13-907 and § 13-908 carefully or consult an attorney, because those rules diverge from the voting path.²

1
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13-904 – Suspension of Civil Rights and Occupational Disabilities
2
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13-907 – Automatic Restoration of Civil Rights for First Offenders; Firearm Rights
3
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13-906 – Restoration of Civil Rights; Process
4
Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Packet: Application to Restore Rights; CRRR1
5
Arizona Secretary of State. Restoration of Voting Rights in Arizona Summary of Recent Legislation
6
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13-908 – Restoration of Civil Rights; Application; Firearm Rights; Definition
7
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 16-182 – False Registration
8
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13-702 – First Time Felony Offenders; Sentencing; Definition
9
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 16-1016 – Illegal Voting; Pollution of Ballot Box
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 52 U.S. Code 20511 – Criminal Penalties
11
Arizona Secretary of State. Registration Requirements
12
Arizona Secretary of State. 2026 Election Info
13
Arizona Secretary of State. Voter Registration Procedures