Arizona’s first major election of the year is about to begin, and it’s time to get registered if you wish to participate.

Republican and Democratic voters will select their choice of their party’s presidential nominee during the upcoming presidential preference election.

Republicans will choose from nine possible nominees, including former President Donald Trump and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. Democrats will see seven candidates on the ballot, including President Joe Biden.

Election day isn’t until March 19. But the voter registration deadline comes weeks before on Feb. 20.

You can register to vote online, by mail or in person. Here’s what to know.

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Who can vote?

In Arizona, you are qualified to register to vote if you are an American citizen, at least 18 years old before election day and a resident of Arizona for at least 29 days before the election.

You cannot register to vote if you are a convicted felon and your rights have not been restored, or if you have been adjudicated as an incapacitated person.

Independents are not eligible to vote in the presidential preference election unless they change their party affiliation.

How to register to vote

You can register to vote online if you have an Arizona driver’s license or state ID.

Otherwise, you’ll need to register with a paper voter registration form. You can return the form to your county recorder by mail or drop it off.

If you register with a paper form, you must provide proof of citizenship. Arizona is the only state in the country that requires proof of citizenship in addition to a signed affidavit when you register to vote in state elections. You must be an American citizen to vote in all states, but most only require voters to sign an affidavit attesting that they are U.S. citizens under the penalty of perjury.

Remember to include a photocopy of one of these documents:

• Your Arizona driver’s license

• Your Arizona non-operating identification card

• Your birth certificate

• The photo identification page of your U.S. passport or passport card

• Your naturalization documents

• Your alien registration number

• Your U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs or tribal identification card

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How can I check my voter registration status?

You can check your registration status through My.Arizona.Vote.

To use the site, you’ll need to provide one of the following:

• Your driver’s license number

• Your tribal identification card number

• The last four digits of your Social Security number

When does voting start?

Voting begins 27 days before election day. This year, early ballots will be mailed out to voters on Feb. 21.

I’m an independent, but I want to vote in the presidential preference election. What can I do?

Voters not registered to a recognized political party cannot vote in the presidential preference election.

If you’re an independent and wish to vote, you can change your party affiliation to become a Republican or Democrat, vote in a presidential preference election and then re-register as an independent. But that takes some planning, and you’ll have to change your party affiliation before the voter registration deadline.

Sasha Hupka covers county government and election administration for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip to share on elections or voting? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Instagram or Threads: @sashahupkasnaps.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona presidential primary: Voter registration deadline is Feb. 20