Mohave County Gears Up for Pivotal Primary Election

KINGMAN — Arizona voters are heading to the polls on Tuesday to participate in a crucial primary election that will shape the state’s future. Those who didn’t take part in early voting or mail-in ballots will cast their votes in person.

County Elections Director Allen Tempert declared his staff ready, stating, “There are 37 polling stations, each manned by about 315 well-trained poll workers.” Tempert emphasized the extensive preparations, noting valuable training sessions for the staff.

The county’s election machinery also went through stringent testing. Three high-tech tabulators were tested last month, achieving 100% accuracy on 900 randomly selected test ballots. In contrast, a previous hand-count last year of an 850-ballot sample produced 43 errors.

Don Martin, a candidate for the District 4 seat on the Mohave County Board of Supervisors, questioned the accuracy of machine vs. hand counts. Tempert confirmed the machines’ higher accuracy, stating, “It’s not even close.”

Tempert also provided a projected timeline for election results. The first results are expected about an hour after polls close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, with updates continuing through the night and into Wednesday. However, final results for high-profile races might take up to a week to be declared, with unofficial results hoped to be determined by August 6. These results will remain unofficial until canvassed by the county supervisors.

The delay in final tallies is partly due to the volume of mail-in ballots. In the 2022 general election, over half of Mohave County voters used early voting methods, either in person or by mail. For the 2022 primary, that figure was about 65%, reflecting a statewide trend. The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office reported that less than 30% of votes were cast in person on Election Day.

“There’s no such thing as a perfect election and there never will be,” Tempert noted, a sentiment he has expressed consistently throughout his tenure.

The Republican-dominated Mohave County will select several key officials during this primary. Voters in the GOP primary will decide the sheriff, superintendent of schools, assessor, and Bullhead City constable. While general elections for four of the five county board of supervisor seats will occur, the race for the District 2 seat, vacated by Hildy Angius, will be decided on Tuesday with three Republicans—Grace Hecht, Scotty McClure, and Rich Lettman—vying for the position.

Several Republican incumbents face no primary or general election opposition: Matt Smith (county attorney), SueAnn Mello (county treasurer), Lydia Durst (county recorder), and Rick Williams, who aims to retain his Division 5 seat as judge of the Mohave County Superior Court.