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Arizona election: Can I drop off someone else's ballot?

If you missed the deadline to mail in your ballot, you can still drop it off—but here's why you may want to leave your friend's ballot behind.

Let' say Election Day is just days away (it is) and you and your friend haven't mailed in your ballot.

Wednesday was the last recommended day to mail in your ballot in Maricopa County. You may know that if you missed the deadline, you can still drop it off at polling locations. Did you know, however, that dropping off your friend's ballot along with yours could land you behind bars?

It falls under a state law that prohibits "ballot harvesting."

On Wednesday, an appeals court upheld a 2016 Arizona law banning people from picking up and dropping off other voters' ballots.

The 2016 Republican-led legislation, HB 2023, bans anyone but caregivers or family members from delivering a completed early ballot to a polling place. Supporters of the law say it prevents voter fraud. Opponents of the law say it hurts people who need assistance or people who don't have reliable mail access, like voters living in rural areas or on the native reservations. 

Although both Republicans and Democrats have collected ballots and turned them in to election officials in the past, Democrats did it more effectively. 

Violators of HB 2023 can face up to a year in state prison and a $150,000 fine.

So if your friend still has your ballot sitting in their mail pile, encourage them to drop it off themselves. You can't do it for them.

RELATED: Decision 2018: Your guide to the midterm elections in Arizona
MORE: Arizona election: How do I see if my vote was counted?

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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