MariCo Officials Confidently Ready for July 30 Primary Election

Maricopa County anticipates a voter turnout of roughly 30% for the July 30 primary election. Projections suggest that about 10% will vote in person on Election Day.

Voting has been underway since June 15 for overseas and military personnel, with early voting for local residents commencing on July 3. On the final day for mailing early ballots, county officials urged voters to use drop boxes by 7 p.m. on Election Day if they missed the mail-in deadline.

During a press conference, Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates emphasized the board’s commitment to safe, transparent elections. He assured that robust collaborations with local and federal law enforcement aim to secure both voters and election workers amidst heightened political tensions.

Safety was a predominant theme, especially following the recent attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life. Although officials did not confirm any specific threats, they highlighted ongoing security measures.

Authorities stressed the importance of relying on official channels for election information. The county will operate 223 vote centers, where any registered voter, regardless of party affiliation, can cast their ballot. Identification is required, with several acceptable forms listed by the county.

Voters can find detailed polling location information, including wait times, at Locations.Maricopa.Vote. As of Monday’s end, over 211,000 early ballots had been counted, contributing to the expected total turnout of 718,000 to 894,000 voters.

Initial election results will begin at 8 p.m. on July 30, starting with early ballots processed before Election Day. Bipartisan teams will handle on-site tabulation at vote centers, with transportation to central facilities for final counting.

More details on vote counting and results are available at CountingBallots.Maricopa.Vote. Assistant County Manager Zach Schira highlighted new investments, totaling $15 million, to bolster this election cycle. He affirmed the county’s preparedness while acknowledging the impossibility of a flawless election.

Previous elections faced challenges, including printer malfunctions that delayed voting and led to misinformation. Last week, a global IT system outage affected some early voting sites. Despite these issues, no voter was turned away.

Officials plan to respond to queries from the Republican National Committee and Arizona Republican Party regarding the outage’s impact. Additionally, the county has replaced and rigorously tested new printers to avoid repeating past mistakes, according to Scott Jarrett, Maricopa County’s Director of Elections.