The sprawling state of Arizona was once Republican, but in 2020 that changed.

Joe Biden became only the second Democrat to win here since 1948, by fewer than 11,000 votes, and polls suggest Arizona could once again be won or lost by the narrowest of margins.

High above Phoenix, Dobbins Lookout offers panoramic views of the rugged Grand Canyon State.

Many people there to watch the Friday evening sunset were contemplating a big decision.

Among them are Jennifer Montero and her fiancé Richie Garcia, who say their vote Tuesday is based on their economic situation.

“The prices have gone up crazy,” Ms. Montero said, “and then, especially now that I want to get married and have kids, I really want to be able to go to McDonald’s and get a spicy meal for a dollar like they do it.

The couple is of Mexican origin, in a state where one in four voters is Latino and where the immigration debate is complicated.

For Mr. Garcia, being born in America means the border is less of a concern.

“Times are changing. I think a lot of the Hispanic community was very inclined to vote Democratic because of their immigration status, but my parents are citizens. I think immigration status doesn’t really matter anymore important to me,” he said.

Less than 30 minutes from downtown Phoenix, people were already starting to vote at a drive-thru voting center.

One of them was Renee Rojas, a longtime Republican voting Democratic for the first time.

Ms. Rojas, of Native American and Latin American origin, says this decision comes down to Donald Trump.

“The recent rhetoric and changes in the Republican Party have made me realize that things are not happening the way they should be,” she said, before adding: “My mother, my grandmother is a Republican “She’s Navajo. You know, my other family and friends, they’re all Republicans, but half of them are voting Democratic this year.”

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Ms. Rojas’s thoughts on the prospect of unrest after the result are a reminder of the strong conservative values ​​of the state in which she lives.

“I’m an Arizonan. I own a gun myself, I have several types of guns, heavy machine guns and handguns. So I’m proud to own a gun and people will demonstrate what they want as long as they don’t hurt anyone.

For other drive-in voters like Peter Orozco, the choice was simple: stability.

He believes that the current administration will maintain the status quo on foreign policy.

“We can’t make big political changes, especially internationally, you know, because if we get another president than the current one, it could be World War III,” he said.

In Arizona, other voters believe that the situation in the state has deteriorated since the Democrats came to power.

Among them is Dane Jensen, a 26-year-old mortgage broker.

In recent days, Mr. Jensen stood outside another polling place in Scottsdale with a “Swifties for Trump” banner.

He made this banner as a joke to try to ruffle the feathers of people voting for the Democratic Party, which the singer supported.

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Of Swift, he said: “It’s like someone like him who owns a private jet and flies around the country and who, in my opinion, creates more fossil fuels and environmentally harmful energy than anyone.

“And for you to sit there on your high horse and billions of dollars, and tell people what you think should happen when you’re already ready to live, I don’t really agree with that .”

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Beyond celebrity support, there is an economic and social reality in Arizona that Mr. Jensen and all voters in the state will recognize.

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“I was born and raised here. So I know this area as well as anyone. But you know, crime, the border economy, these are really important issues, these are everyday issues,” he declared.

It’s these everyday issues in a handful of vital places like Arizona that will decide an election with the tightest of margins.