Pima County’s Urgent Replacement of 509 Flawed Voter ID Cards Impacting Continental School District

Officials in Pima County are addressing a registration error affecting more than 500 voters after a constituent brought the issue to light. A mapping error incorrectly placed these voters in the Sahuarita Unified School District instead of the Continental Elementary School District, where they actually reside.

Inside the Continental district, 505 voters were misidentified. Additionally, four others were assigned to the Tucson Unified School District rather than the correct Catalina Foothills Unified School District. According to County Administrator Jan Lesher, “All voters in the 2024 general election will receive the correct ballot for where they live.” The mishap predominantly impacted a small number of school district voters.

County officials conducted an intensive review following the report and expressed confidence that all voters are now accurately placed within their districts. It’s been assured that residents remain aligned with the property tax obligations of their designated school districts. The issue came to light last week, prompting swift action among various county departments to rectify the situation before early ballots are mailed on October 9.

To resolve the discrepancies, the county’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) division reviewed the school district boundaries against property data from the assessor’s office. This comparison revealed inaccuracies along the borders of the Sahuarita Unified School District, particularly affecting voters in the Continental District.

As a corrective measure, new voter ID cards will be sent out within 30 days. County Recorder Gabriela Cazares-Kelly highlighted that while ID cards can assist with in-person voting, they are not mandatory. Existing cards will retain the same identification numbers, ensuring no disruption in voter accessibility.

Lesher acknowledged the confusion the error may have caused, especially amid heightened scrutiny in election processes. Yet, she reassured voters that all necessary steps were taken to ensure that everyone receives the correct ballot. The county is also investigating the root cause to implement a better validation system ahead of the 2025 elections.

Elections Director Constance Hargrove confirmed that the previous July primary election was unaffected by the mapping issue, as there were no relevant candidates or issues on the ballot for the affected school districts. Pima County boasts over 643,000 active voters, with about 26,400 in the Continental district and 20,400 in the Sahuarita district.

This is not the first electoral mishap for Continental voters. In November 2014, officials discovered 213 general election ballots improperly placed in envelopes meant for school board races after a batch of misprinted early ballots was sent out. More recently, in 2018, over 500 voters received ballots that excluded important races for the Tucson Unified School District.