EXCLUSIVEEmotional Arizona early voters decide between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and reveal why there is so much more at stake in 2024

The election is so close in Arizona it is pushing some to the brink of tears.

For early voters in the battleground state - one of seven that will decide the election - they feel their future is on the line more than ever before in what is shaping up to be one of the closest and most consequential races in decades.

Polling locations in and around Phoenix have already seen a steady stream of voters anxious to drop off their ballots despite the triple-digit heat.

Who wins the state is a coin flip, with recent polls showing Donald Trump ahead by barely one percent and election prediction models giving him the best chance to win with the slightest of margins.

DailyMail.com found a nearly even split of supporters for Harris and Trump, but their reasons for how they cast their ballots ran the gamut.

Early voting in the battleground state of Arizona is underway with voters returning mailed ballots or voting at early polling locations across the state. Voters DailyMail.com spoke to reflected just how tight the race in the battleground state is expected to be with a nearly even split for Trump and Harris

At an early polling location Scottsdale, Louis Lopez stopped by to vote for Trump.

I just love the changes hes trying to put together, the Hispanic voter originally from New York said. I love what hes trying to do with the border. 

Lopez, who also voted for Trump in the last election, described Trump as no nonsense guy and said simply that he is not a fan of Harris. 

But Independent voter Shawn Dunn who showed up to vote just moments later disagreed. 

Dunn voted for Harris because she is not crazy. Shes not demented. And she doesnt lie like every sentence, so for me its all about integrity.

Dunn had been voting on a straight Republican ticket for 40 years but that changed in 2016. 

The father of four daughters said another issue for him this year is making sure his kids have their physical right to do what they want. 

Last time I checked, I didnt see any laws for men and my body, and theyre trying to control womens bodies, he added passionately. 

This year he also voted for Democrat Ruben Gallego in the Senate race over Republican Kari Lake. 

Mary Meyer also showed up at the polling location to vote in Scottsdale, but the experience has been tough on the registered Republican. 

Im emotional because I voted against somebody, so I voted for Harris because I think Trump is a dictator, she said trying to hold back tears. 

I like to vote for somebody that I can trust whos not a liar and who respects women, who is sane, she said. I cant say that Harris isnt all those things, I just dont know enough about her yet, and I hope that she is elected, and I hope I grow fond of her.

Meyer also voted for Gallego in the Senate race. But in a state like Arizona - not everyone is voting straight ticket. 

19-year-old Benjamin Sorensen holding an I voted today sticker after casting a ballot in his first presidential election. He voted for Trump for president but Gallego for Senate

Over in Phoenix, Benjamin Sorensen, 19, voted for the very first time in a presidential election on Friday. The registered Independent was extremely conflicted with his pick but opted for Trump.

It was very hard to choose, but I mustered up and voted for Trump, he said. 

Socially I am very liberal. I love Kamalas initiatives on abortion, LGBTQ rights, just the way she presents herself. Shes very approachable. But shes been in office three and a half years. It hasnt been the best. Trumps four years looked a lot more promising economically speaking, Sorensen explained. 

While he voted for the Republican presidential nominee, down ballot he picked a mix of Democrats and Republicans including Gallego in the Senate race.

The Senate was almost even harder because I think we have two lunatics running for office, he said. 

Sorensen accused Lake of sucking up to the far right and Gallego of pretending to be a moderate. He said the reason behind his ticket splitting was abortion rights. 

I believe Gallego will protect the womans right to choose in Arizona on a federal level. With Lake, Im not so sure, he said.

The voters who DailyMail.com spoke to reflected just how tight the race in the state with its eleven electoral votes is overall. 

The Real Clear Politics average of polls has Trump up by half a point as a series of recent polls show the race within the margin of error

The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows Trump is up in the state by just half a point. 

The latest Wall Street Journal poll has Harris up two points, a statistical tie, while the Emerson College poll just released shows Trump up by two points.

In the Senate race, Gallego appears to have a six point lead over Lake, suggesting a good number of voters will be ticket splitting this year. 

Democrat Ruben Gallego (left) and Republican Kari Lake (right) participate in the Arizona Senate debate on October 9, 2024

Both presidential candidates have campaigned heavily in the state. Harris held a campaign rally on Thursday one day after early voting began. Her running mate Tim Walz also visited the state for the first day of early voting. 

Trumps running mate J.D. Vance marked the start of early voting in the state on Wednesday as well. Trump has a rally in the battleground state on Sunday. 

Trump won the state in 2016 by more  90,000 votes, but President Biden flipped it blue in 2020 by just over 10,000 votes - the closest presidential election in the states history. This years results could be even tighter.

Voters in Arizona can can participate in early voting by dropping off their mailed ballot or they can show up to vote in person at a series of polling locations. 

Kamala Harris entering her Arizona rally on October 10, one day after early voting kicked off in the state

Donald Trump holding a campaign event in Tucson on September 12

Trumps running mate J.D. Vance holding a rally in Tucson, AZ on the first day of early voting in the state on October 9

Republican David Kappeler, 57, voted early in Phoenix because he will be out of town on Election Day and did not want to miss out in being part of the process. He voted for Trump.

I think hes exactly what this country needs with all the deficit spending, the economy, the border, weak defense, Kappeler said. 

He believes Harris is ill-informed and inept. 

Kappeler also voted in the states Senate race for Lake for the same reasons he shared for supporting Trump.

Signs for Harris and Trump could be spotted along roads and near early voting locations as voters head to the polls in Arizona 

But Democrat Elizabeth Madden, 28, showed up to vote for Harris and Democrats down ballot including Gallego.

I voted for Kamala Harris. I trust her as a President of the United States because she cares about womens reproductive rights, and she also cares about climate change which are my two main issues.

Shes extremely upset Trump is on the ballot once again and worries he doesnt see immigrants as people. 

Madden showed up because voting early works with her tough work schedule, but she is concerned about turnout among her peers. Some have told her they wont be participating. 

She was joined voting early by Michael Casper, also 28, who voted for Democrats up and down the ballot citing climate change is his big issue. 

In-person early voting in the state runs through November 1 before voters can return in person to cast ballots on Election Day, November 5.