PHOENIX — Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer thinks Arizona could get faster election results if the state sets new restrictions for the voters who drop off "late early ballots" on Election Day and expands Election Day to multiple days.
The Republican election official released a set of recommendations on Thursday for how Arizona could reform its election laws after the most recent general election triggered allegations of malfeasance and mismanagement.
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One of the biggest criticisms election officials received last November was the length of time it took to call competitive races for governor and state attorney general.
Richer said Arizona could get results more quickly if it changed when and how early voters can drop off their ballots.
The 2022 election had several more voters choosing to drop off their early ballot on Election Day. These "late early ballots" took longer to process because the county must conduct several steps to verify the voter's signature and the process couldn't start until after the polls closed on Election Day, Richer explained.
"The cleanest solution to 'late early ballots' is to require all early ballots be dropped off by the close of the statutorily designated early voting period – 5:00 PM on the Friday before Election Day," Richer wrote in his recommendation.
Early voters could still drop off a ballot on Election Day at the county recorder's office or choose to vote in person, Richer added.
This recommendation could potentially allow Arizona to have 95% of results within the first 24 hours of the election.
To compensate for these new restrictions on "late early ballots," Richer suggested expanding Arizona's early voting period from 27 to 32 days or expanding Election Day to a four-day period instead of a single day.
Another solution could be to require early voters to check in at a voting center if they want to drop off their late ballot on Election Day. Under this scenario, election officials wouldn't have to verify the voter's signature because they would have to show identification at the voting center.
Richer also recommended allowing on-site tabulation during the early voting period. More details on his recommendations can be found below: