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Maricopa County election officials battle mistrust, misinformation

County leaders said Monday they have processed ballots of about 1.2 million early voters so far.

MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz — Election officials are about to carry out what is likely to be the most scrutinized election in Maricopa County history. County leaders said Monday they have processed ballots of about 1.2 million early voters and they are on pace to release vote totals of roughly 55% of all votes sometime after 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

Tuesday's election comes as the county has already navigated through an MVD records glitch that required a ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court involving about 100,000 ballots.  

RELATED: Governor announces bipartisan audit of MVD voter registration process following 'glitch'

County Recorder Stephen Richer acknowledged the reality that lawyers representing various interests and campaigns are watching the state closely because of its significance nationally and its history of having close down ballot races. County officials said they are prioritizing safety and security over speed.

"We know that Maricopa County will be the subject of litigation," Richer said. "We will not cut corners."

The county launched a new website, JustTheFacts.Vote, to counter misinformation in the days ahead. Voter who want to know the status of their ballots should go to BeBallotReady.Vote. Voters with general questions about voting centers and drop boxes can go to MARICOPA.Vote.

As 12News has reported, voters should expect the possibility of longer, slower-moving lines on Tuesday because the ballot is two pages for the first time since 2006. However, the county has bolstered equipment and facilities with a $10 million investment since 2020. Other updates from the county:

  • 159 bipartisan teams of workers verifying signatures of ballot packets.
  • 15,000 of 27,000 ballots set aside for further signature verification have been cured.
  • The county has received 5,600 provisional ballots.
  • Voting Centers expecting high turnout will have as many as 68 voting booths to accommodate demand.
  • Due to a new Arizona law, poll workers must count voting packets at each voting center before transferring them for tabulation. This will slow down the transportation of ballot and memory cards to the county's central hub on Tuesday night.

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Decision 2024

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