Election Day 2022 in Arizona: Maricopa County experiencing issues at 20% of voting locations
Maricopa County #MaricopaCounty
Leer en español
Polls opened for in-person voting from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday as Arizona and the nation wrap up a contentious midterm election.
Republican Kari Lake, the Trump-backed former TV news anchor, is squaring off against Democrat Katie Hobbs, Arizona’s secretary of state, in a high-profile race for who will become governor. Trump-endorsed Republican Blake Masters and Democratic incumbent Mark Kelly also are locked in a tight contest for a U.S. Senate seat.
Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.
The first results were expected to be released around 8 p.m.
Follow coverage of Arizona’s midterm election by Republic reporters here.
2:15 p.m. Voting machine issues also reported in New Jersey
Like Maricopa County, there were reports of issues with voting machines in Mercer County, New Jersey.
Poll workers in Mercer County discovered an issue with the voting machine scanners soon after polls opened, said Nathaniel Walker, superintendent of elections.
“Every ballot that has been cast will be counted, no voter will be disenfranchised, and the integrity of the election is intact and secure,” Walker said.
Voters are to fill out paper ballots as they normally would, Walker said.
“A contingency plan is in place for all ballots cast at all locations to be scanned at the secure Board of Elections office,” Walker said. “Again, ballots will be scanned just as they would at the polling location.”
The county said in a Facebook post that the board of elections “is working with Dominion, the machine maker, to resolve the issue.”
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin tweeted, “Attention all Mercer County voters — paper ballots are available in your precinct, and all polling locations are open. Rest assured: paper ballots are safe and secure, and your vote will be counted.”
The issues were likely to delay vote counts in the 3rd and 12th Congressional District races, as well as local races.
— Liam Quinn
1:55 p.m.: Some Maricopa County polling locations reporting long lines
Some Maricopa County polling locations were reporting wait times of more than 30 minutes as of early afternoon on Tuesday. Keep in mind that wait times are fluid and can change frequently throughout the day.
As of 1:45 p.m., the Outlets at Anthem had the longest wait time among county polling locations at 64 minutes followed by Mesa Community College at Red Mountain at 56 minutes. Asante Library in Surprise reported a 56-minute wait time.
Earlier this week, Maricopa County officials said the busiest time at the polls is generally from 5 to 7 p.m.
You can check wait times on the county’s website: https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/where-to-vote.html.
— Anne Ryman
Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, the influential Phoenix-based nonprofit aimed at engaging young conservatives, sent a Tweet to his 1.8 million followers calling for arrests related to election issues in Arizona’s most populous county.
“People need to be arrested for what is happening in Maricopa County,” Kirk wrote at about 12:15 p.m. on Election Day. “It’s criminal.”
Although the Tweet wasn’t specific about why Kirk thought arrests were warranted, it came amid a stream of Tweets about lines and machine glitches throughout metro Phoenix.
Kirk urged Republicans to vote in person, saying he did not trust the early voting mechanisms. He said that he expected the number of in-person voters to be “so immense they will not be able to do what they normally do, the kind of nonsense shenanigans.”
— Richard Ruelas
1:30 p.m.: Cochise County may appeal ruling on hand count
A day after a judge shot down an attempt to hand count every Cochise County ballot in Tuesday’s election, officials signaled they want to appeal.
The board of supervisors called an emergency meeting for Wednesday to consider hiring outside counsel Bryan Blehm to represent not only the three-person board, but also the county recorder and the elections director.
Supervisor Peggy Judd said she was hoping to get support for an appeal, arguing, along with supervisor Tom Crosby, that their hand count plan was legal. A Pima County judge late Monday ruled it was not.
Judd, a Republican, blamed the ruling on political bias.
“Pima County is our most liberal county in Arizona,” she said in an email to The Arizona Republic. ”It was in our judge’s DNA to side with the plaintiff.”
— Mary Jo Pitzl
1:15 p.m.: On Tohono O’odham Nation, employees distribute shirts, more
In Sells, employees of the Tohono O’odham Nation’s Sells District Administration Office distributed T-shirts, water bottles, clip boards, storage containers and first aid kits to tribal members who voted Tuesday.
The employees set up a large white tent in the office parking lot.
Sells District Chairman Juan Buendia, 36, said the giveaways are a way to encourage voter participation among tribal members. Voter turnout was steady.
The text on the gray T-shirts said, “Our Voice — Our Vote, Since 1948.”
Sells is the Tohono O’odham nation’s capital. It is one of the nation’s 11 political districts and is the most populous on the reservation, which stretches across south-central Arizona and borders Mexico.
— Noel Lyn Smith, reporting supported by the Pulitzer Center
1 p.m.: Yavapai County responds to social media messages about voting
Yavapai County Interim Recorder Michelle M. Burchill responded to what she said was a rapid spread of misinformation online.
She said Tuesday afternoon that there were no issues with printers or voting machines. On Tuesday morning, she said a printer at a Chino Valley polling location was not working correctly, but the issue was solved in 30 minutes.
That didn’t stop social media messages saying that there were broken machines, bad printers, and people waiting “hours” with lines of over 200 people.
“That wasn’t the case,” Burchill said, explaining that lines have been running smoothly — albeit slowly — all morning.
She asked that people remain calm and stay in line, and not get heated over waiting times: “They wanted to come out and vote in person today rather than take advantage of other opportunities. Just — please cut us a little slack.”
Deputy County Recorder Karen McCracken said earlier Tuesday that ballots will be dropped off at the recorder’s office by 8 p.m., but not to expect any initial results until late in the evening, likely after midnight.
— Joseph Darius Jaafari
12:45 p.m.: Voter reports being juggled between sites to cast ballot
At Madison Baptist Church in central Phoenix, Carol Harder said a tabulator wouldn’t count her ballot. They tried some 20 times before issuing her another ballot, which also couldn’t be counted, she said.
She was told to go to another location since this site couldn’t issue her a third ballot. At the next polling location, she was told the system showed she had counted. She returned to Madison Baptist Church where her only option was to file a provisional ballot.
“Now I have to trust that part of the system. … I totally have no faith in this,” she said walking away.
Maricopa County has reported technical issues with ballot tabulators at some 40 voting locations. Under typical circumstances, county voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results.
— Taylor Seely
Noon: More frustration at the ballot box in Maricopa County
At Desert Christian Fellowship Church in central Phoenix, many voters were frustrated with tabulators at the site not taking their ballots.
“I watched about 12 people insert their ballots into the tabulator and it not take their scans,” Missy Art said. “The workers are instructing them to insert them into the box that is so full they need to be shook to receive more ballots.”
Other voters have decided to try and spoil their ballot and vote at another site. But some have had issues with the spoil process as well.
Voters who experienced issues with the tabulators at the Desert Christian Fellowship Church location decided to try again at the Beatitudes Campus, a retirement community.
“We have two ballots floating,” Bill Mason said. “We went over the Beatitudes — they’re still showing we voted over here. We can’t vote now.”
Maricopa County officials reported problems with ballot tabulators at 20% of voting centers on Tuesday morning. At polling sites, Maricopa County voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results.
— Brenda Muñoz Murguia
11 a.m.: Voters frustrated with Maricopa County voting
Sandra Tufel, a Queen Creek resident, went to cast her ballot at the Queen Creek Library at around 7 a.m. Tuesday but said the tabulator would not scan her ballot.
She said she was given a choice of waiting or putting her ballot in a drop box for later scanning.
“I’m going to have to trust the system and trust my ballot will be counted. … It was a frustrating experience,” Tufel said.
“But I feel so sorry for the poll workers. No one was aggressive but people weren’t happy and (poll workers) have to answer to everyone.”
Maricopa County officials reported problems with ballot tabulators at 20% of voting centers on Tuesday morning. At polling sites, Maricopa County voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results.
— Lillian Boyd
10:30 a.m.: Techs trying to determine why tabulators not working
Maricopa County officials said technicians were trying to determine why ballot tabulators at about 20% of voting locations — about 40 of 223 voting centers — are experiencing problems.
“We have techs out there. We’re doing what we can to get them back online,” said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates during an impromptu news conference Tuesday morning.
Gates said the issues were not centered in one particular geographical area but were “dispersed” throughout the state’s most populous county.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said the county has not experienced this particular issue with tabulators in previous elections.
County officials are advising voters to place their ballots in a secure drop box called “Door No. 3” at the polling site if the tabulator is not working. Those ballots will remain secure and will be taken when voting ends after 7 p.m. and delivered by a bipartisan team to the county’s election tabulation center.
Richer said this is similar to the process used by other Arizona counties.
“Everyone is still getting to vote,” Gates said. “Nobody is being disenfranchised, and we’ve got redundancies in place.”
At polling sites, Maricopa County voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results.
— Anne Ryman
Election officials Bill Gates and Stephen Richer give update on voting tabulators
SHARE
SHARE
TWEET
SHARE
What to watch next
Pentagon Official: China Unlikely To Invade Taiwan ‘In The Near Term’
Newsweek
AP VoteCast: Voters fueled by concern for naton
The Associated Press
CNN political director breaks down top issue for most voters
CNN
CNN’s David Chalian breaks down exit polls on election night
CNN
Senate What If: These ‘tipping point’ races could determine control of the Senate
NBC News
Cruz got hit with a beverage can at the Astros parade. See how he responded
CNN
CNN 10: The big stories of the day, explained in 10 minutes
CNN
Some social media users claim this video is evidence of voter fraud. CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan explains why it is misinformation
CNN
Watch: Candidates Give Last Push to Voters on Election Day
The Wall Street Journal.
L.A. City Council Candidate Tied To Scientology, Leah Remini Warns Voters
Newsweek
Scenes from Election Day: Polling places without paper, long lines, last minute campaign stops
NBC News
Election Day 2022: Sights and Sounds
The Washington Post
What to watch in the North Carolina midterm elections
CBS News
Arizona county experiences issues with vote tabulators
NBC News
Right-Wing Pundit On Joe Rogan Show Fact-Checked On-Air About Trans Claims
Newsweek
Winning $2 billion Powerball ticket sold in Altadena, California
CBS News
Click to expand
UP NEXT
9:30 a.m. Voters report problems with tabulators
Maricopa County officials say 20% of voting locations are experiencing issues with the tabulators.
At the Mountain Park Health Center Baseline Clinic in south Phoenix, some voters leaving the polling place around 7 a.m. said the tabulators were not scanning some ballots.
One voter said he showed up at 6 a.m. and stayed for over an hour until his ballot finally scanned.
Some voters leaving the polling place said they dropped off their ballot in a box at the site. That’s what Jimmy R. Smith did when his ballot didn’t scan.
“I was informed that some of the votes aren’t being taken, and that you can go ahead and vote, and if it doesn’t, you can put it in a box and they’re going to come back and tabulate it later,” he said. “But you also have people sitting around, waiting, because they want to make sure that their vote is tabulated.”
Others chose not to leave their ballot in the ballot box.
Josh Erb said he plans to come back to the same site later this afternoon once he gets off work.
He also chose not to attempt to use the tabulators once he heard they were having problems. “They said that we can slide it in the machine, but I don’t want to risk it. If it’s not working, I’m not going to place my vote,” Erb said.
— Madeleine Parrish
Maricopa County Elections officials say 20% of the county’s voting locations are experiencing issues as of Tuesday morning. This is greater than the earlier 10% estimate the county gave.
“We’re doing what we can to get these back online. It’s not like both of the tabulators are having these issues. It may only be one (at a location),” Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates said on Tuesday morning during an impromptu news conference.
Maricopa County has 223 voting centers.
County officials advised voters that if a tabulator is not working at a site, they can still vote. They have the option of casting their ballot and placing it into a secure ballot box. Those boxes will then be taken to the county’s election center for tabulation.
At polling sites, Maricopa County voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results. Once voting ends, a bipartisan team of poll workers transports the ballots to the county’s election headquarters and ballot receiving sites so that they can be securely stored.
— Anne Ryman
8:30 a.m.: Maricopa County experiencing issues at 10% of locations
As Maricopa County experienced issues at roughly 10% of voting locations Tuesday morning, officials sought to assure voters that they can still cast ballots.
Voters at impacted sites have two options: to cast their ballot via a secure box to be counted later or to go vote at a different location. Elections Department spokesperson Megan Gilbertson said poll workers are best equipped to help voters ensure their ballot is successfully cast.
“It’s important for voters to talk to the poll workers on site,” Gilbertson said.
Officials confirmed the issues were with the on-site tabulators.
As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, nearly 30,000 Maricopa County voters had cast a ballot, Gilbertson said.
— Sasha Hupka
Months after a disastrous primary election, Pinal County polling sites opened without a hitch on Election Day.
County spokesperson James Daniels said officials received just nine calls within the first few hours of voting, compared with hundreds each hour in August, when the county ran out of ballots at one-quarter of its voting locations.
All of Tuesday’s calls were related to general requests for voter information, such as polling locations, Daniels said.
“They are just voter-type questions, which is what the contact center should be for,” he said.
— Sasha Hupka
7:20 a.m.: Rural voting site reports steady stream of voters
At the voting site north of Prescott in Williamson Valley, a fire and medical building was already bustling by 6 a.m. as a line formed outside.
Outside the 75-foot perimeter, where campaigners and activists can stand, a large red tent was propped up with signs supporting Senate candidate Blake Masters, while others stood outside holding signs to raise money for a proposition to raise firemen’s budgets.
By 6:30, poll workers were tending to about 20 people — which, for this area, is a lot, said Dawn Casey, the inspector at the poll site. “I’ve been here when 10 people show up,” adding that this year’s election feels different.
“This is a very rural area, lots of cowboys and farmers,” she said. “But we’re seeing a good turnout so far.”
— Joseph Darius Jaafari
7 a.m.: Burton Barr Library tabulator machine back online
Maricopa County officials said Burton Barr Library is only doing drop-off ballots as of 6 a.m. after there were issues with a ballot tabulator machine. The issue was fixed as of 7:30 a.m. County officials said the password was entered too many times, triggering built-in security measures that locked the machine. County officials said the issue was being addressed.
In the meantime, voters have three options: Drop off ballots, wait for the tabulator to come online or go to another location nearby. Find locations at http://Locations.Maricopa.vote.
— Anne Ryman
6 a.m.: Where to cast a ballot on Tuesday
Maricopa County will have 223 voting centers open Tuesday, and registered voters can cast a ballot at any of those locations. Find a list of voting locations at https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/where-to-vote.html. Wait times will be displayed on the website.
Elections officials in the state’s most populous county said lines at the polls are anticipated, with the most voter activity expected between 5 and 7 p.m.
Maricopa County officials estimate that about 250,000 to 350,000 people will vote in person in the county on Election Day,
— Anne Ryman
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Election Day 2022 in Arizona: Cochise County may appeal ruling on ballot hand count