Arizona Election Results on Hold: Lengthy Ballots and Court Orders Stall Counting

As Arizona awaits crucial election results, delays in Maricopa County are pushing timelines beyond expectations. Ballots cast on Election Day are still being counted, alongside hundreds of thousands of early ballots that remain unprocessed.

Maricopa County’s two-page ballot design has caused significant delays in processing, as election workers struggle to prepare them for counting. A large backlog has emerged due to the time needed to separate the ballot sheets from their envelopes.

Election Day results from other parts of the state are still coming in, with issues in Pinal County contributing to the delay. Apache County experienced its own complications, with a court ruling that extended polling hours due to technical difficulties that resulted in long lines.

County officials reported they still needed to process about 700,000 early ballots as of Tuesday night. Traditionally, results are announced at 8 p.m., including early ballots that had been cast up until the prior Friday. This year, however, only those received by October 29 were included in the initial results.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer noted that the dual-sheet ballots are leading to increased processing times. He explained that this is the first election in nearly two decades to require a second page, complicating what is usually a more straightforward counting process.

On Monday, Richer’s comments indicated a mix of optimism and concern regarding the county’s progress. While he acknowledged delays, he also suggested that the county’s processing pace was comparable to previous elections.

Despite adding a third overnight shift to expedite ballot processing, the county is facing challenges that could leave them unable to catch up before the weekend. Initial results revealed that only about 1.1 million early ballots received by October 29 were counted.

The remaining ballots will be tallied over the coming days, with expectations set for a total turnout of approximately 2.1 million voters. The county plans to update the public on early ballots dropped off at polling locations.

Richer indicated that the processing of ballots might conclude by the weekend, coinciding with the end of the cure period for voters. Maricopa County managed to release Election Day results for around 269,000 voters by early Wednesday morning, as ballots were directly fed into tabulation machines.

A new law requiring poll workers to document early ballot drop-offs has further delayed the final reporting of results. In Pinal County and other areas, results are only counted at central facilities, impacting overall speed.

As of late Wednesday morning, reports indicated that many counties were not finished reporting their Election Day results. Apache County’s delays were directly linked to the extended polling hours necessitated by technical glitches.

For ongoing updates about the election process, stay tuned to ArizonaNews.org.