Election officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, a critical swing state, are warning voters that tabulating votes could take several weeks to conclude. Deputy Elections Director Jennifer Liewer attributes the delay to longer-than-usual ballots and heightened interest in the 2024 election. This year’s ballot will be two pages long, featuring an average of 79 races per ballot.
With over 2.1 million voters expected to cast ballots, election officials are advising people to vote early to avoid congestion on Election Day. Maricopa County has already seen a significant number of early voters, with over 400,000 people casting their ballots. Despite a slower start, officials anticipate an uptick in turnout in the final days leading up to the election.
To ensure smooth operations, Maricopa County is urging voters to cast their ballots in person on Election Day rather than dropping them off. The county has taken steps to prevent the chaos that plagued the 2022 election, including hiring extra staff and deploying high-speed tabulators. However, the county still faces challenges, including a “technology issue” that caused discrepancies in the 2022 election.
In 2022, in-person voters were turned away due to “machine errors” in several close races, including the state’s attorney general and gubernatorial contests. The election took more than five days to conclude, with the winning candidates emerging by a narrow margin. The controversy surrounding the election led to a lawsuit filed by GOP candidate Kari Lake, who accused the “rigged system” of favoring her opponent.
The issue of election security remains a concern in Arizona, with America First Legal (AFL) filing a lawsuit against Maricopa County and other Arizona counties for failing to remove non-citizens from their voter rolls. The lawsuit, filed earlier this year, highlights the ongoing concerns about election integrity in the swing state.
