Pima County Voters Face Chaos as Early Ballot Requests Denied by Recorder

Pima County voters seeking early ballots faced challenges when the Recorder’s Office temporarily disabled their online request portal just a week before the ballot request deadline. The shutdown occurred on Saturday, October 19, after the office experienced an overwhelming surge in requests. Instead of allowing online submissions, officials advised voters to call the office directly.

This closure lasted until the request deadline on Friday, October 25. According to Arizona law, county officials cannot arbitrarily reject early ballot requests. Nevertheless, the Recorder’s Office informed voters via email that they needed to make phone requests instead. The increase in requests was partly attributed to earlier delays in sending ballots to many Pima County residents already on the vote-by-mail list.

Marion Chubon, chief deputy to Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, confirmed that nearly 4,000 voters received an email informing them that their requests had been canceled, instructing them to call the office. One such recipient, former state legislator Ted Downing, reported waiting on hold for around 15 minutes before expressing his concerns to a staff member, stating that the situation amounted to voter suppression.

Downing criticized the decision to disable the portal, emphasizing the significant upcoming elections and the need for efficient voter access. He feared that such operational issues could invite undue scrutiny and allegations of electoral irregularities, particularly from political opponents. Chubon explained that the decision arose from administrative challenges—staff struggled to manage the influx of requests while ensuring that duplicate requests were not processed.

Chubon indicated that roughly 6,000 requests were pending when the online system was shut down, and on the following Monday alone, the office handled approximately 3,500 calls, processing nearly 1,900 new requests. Due to the manual nature of request processing, the office’s capacity was stretched thin during this peak period.

The delayed mailing of ballots, caused by an error concerning school district boundaries, contributed to a spike in requests as voters accustomed to earlier ballots sought replacements. The processing of these requests also faced challenges as the form used did not collect personal identifying information necessary for validation, further complicating the verification process.

Despite the hurdles, Chubon expressed confidence that most voters whose requests were initially canceled ultimately received their ballots, though she acknowledged that not every individual may have followed up. The office typically communicates with voters regarding their requests, but in this instance opted for a mass email approach.

As early voting progresses, Pima County has opened several locations for voters who have not received ballots by mail. Voting sites are available throughout the county, with specific hours set until November 1. Voters are reminded that completed ballots must reach the Recorder’s Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, November 5, to be counted.

County election officials anticipate high voter turnout, planning to expand voting facilities accordingly. For further details on voting locations and procedures, voters can consult Pima.Vote.