Inside Mohave County’s Primary Election: A Night Brimming with Dedication and Anticipation

KINGMAN — Mohave County Elections Director Allen Tempert and his team are facing a long night. Beginning their shift at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, they’re preparing for an all-nighter to oversee the election process.

Preparation for Tuesday’s Primary Election has been in the works since December. This election is pivotal in determining party representatives for the General Election. Even for positions with single-party candidates, like the Mohave County Sheriff, these individuals, along with write-in challengers, will advance to the General Election ballot.

City Council races present another scenario. Candidates who do not secure outright wins will move to the General Election ballot. The county managed 37 polling locations, with ballots transported to the Mohave County Administration building in Kingman for counting after polls close.

An hour before closing, the administration building remained calm. Staff and volunteers chatted quietly, a contrast to the busy night ahead. Tempert hailed this as “the very best election of any real size” he’s experienced, attributing the success to a well-prepared team, minimal phone inquiries, and no voting lines.

“This is the best staff I’ve ever had in my life,” Tempert stated. Once the polls closed at 7 p.m., ballots began to arrive. Security measures ensured a smooth process, with equipment never connected to the internet to prevent tampering. Only specific cables and printers are used, and unauthorized access is strictly prohibited.

Three tabulation machines, nicknamed “the three kids” – Liberty, Freedom, and Justice – process various ballot types. Already loaded with nearly 30,000 early voter ballots, these machines transfer data via encrypted drives to an Election Management System for report generation. Any issues are flagged for human review.

“Every sheet of paper is accounted for,” stressed Tempert, emphasizing rigorous tracking of all ballots and envelopes. At 8:05 p.m., the first state results were announced, followed by local results at 8:10 p.m., covering early ballots but not those cast on election day.

Counting of election day votes continued into early Wednesday morning. Final unofficial results, especially for tight races, may take until next week, with the expectation of announcement by next Tuesday. The Mohave County Board of Supervisors will vote to certify the results, making them official.

For those curious about the tabulation process, the Elections Department’s tabulation room is streaming live as votes are counted.