It’s been days since Election Day, and many are still waiting for final results in Arizona, particularly for key statewide races. This delay has prompted questions, especially when compared to states like Florida that often report results much faster. Let’s delve into the reasons behind Arizona’s election result delays.
One of the primary factors contributing to the extended vote counting time in Arizona is the sheer scale of Maricopa County. As the second-largest voting jurisdiction in the United States, Maricopa County processed a staggering 1.3 million ballots in the recent election. Adding to the workload, approximately 290,000 early ballots were dropped off on Election Day itself.
These early ballots, especially those turned in on Election Day—sometimes referred to as “late earlies”—are a significant factor in the tabulation timeline. Unlike ballots cast in person on election day, these late arriving early ballots cannot be immediately fed into machines.
The process for verifying these ballots adds another layer of time. Helen Purcell, former Maricopa County Recorder, explains, “When people are told to drop off their early ballot on Election Day, those can’t be counted that night. You can’t just run them through a machine. They have to be signature checked, scanned first, then processed by a bipartisan board before they can be counted.” This mandatory signature verification and bipartisan review is crucial for election integrity but inherently takes time.
The increasing popularity of early voting in Arizona also plays a role. Purcell notes a “massive increase” in early ballots cast in recent elections. Election workers are tasked with processing not only ballots received on Election Day but also those that arrived over the preceding weekend and the Monday before. This continuous influx of early ballots extends the overall counting period.
Stephen Richer, the current Maricopa County Recorder, highlighted that the 2022 election saw 100,000 more “late earlies” dropped off compared to 2020, marking a historic high for such ballots in the county. This surge in last-minute early ballots further strains the counting process and naturally delays the release of final results. Richer himself has suggested this trend might lead to discussions about the trade-offs between the convenience of late early ballot drop-offs and the desire for swift election results.
The close nature of many Arizona races in this election cycle also contributes to the wait. With numerous tight contests across the state, candidates are closely watching as each batch of voting data is released from different counties. As of November 10th, several key races had vote margins of 5% or less. Purcell stated, “We knew from the get-go that this election was going to be close, and a lot of ours have been,” indicating that close races inherently require more meticulous counting and verification to ensure accuracy.
Adding to the complexity, approximately 17,000 ballots—about 7% of in-person Election Day votes—were set aside due to a printing issue at some Maricopa County vote tabulation centers. Although a request from Republicans to extend polling hours due to these issues was denied by a judge, election officials assured that these ballots would be counted throughout the week. These ballots require additional handling and processing, further extending the timeline.
Furthermore, election officials reported receiving around 8,000 provisional ballots on Election Day. These ballots, cast by individuals lacking ID or whose records indicated they might have already voted by mail, necessitate extra verification steps before they can be tallied.
Beyond Maricopa County, approximately 200,000 ballots remained uncounted statewide as of November 10th, with the majority located in Pima County, which includes Tucson. Additionally, in rural Cochise County, officials initially sought a full hand-count of ballots, driven by unfounded concerns about machine accuracy. While a judge blocked this full hand-count, the ensuing legal processes and any manual audits undertaken can contribute to delays in reporting final results from these counties.
As of November 10th, while 1.9 million ballots had been tabulated in Arizona, over 619,000 ballots still needed to be counted statewide. Historically, Arizona elections have often involved extended vote counts due to the widespread use of mail-in voting and voters’ tendency to return ballots close to the deadline. However, as Arizona’s political landscape has shifted from a Republican stronghold to a more competitive battleground state, these delays have become a focal point of national attention and anxiety for both political parties.
When comparing Arizona to states like Florida, which often delivers election results much faster, several factors come into play. While both states begin processing early votes before Election Day and accept early ballots until the evening of Election Day, significant differences exist.
Florida sees a significantly higher proportion of voters utilizing mail-in ballots and early in-person voting. According to the Florida Division of Elections, over 5 million Floridians voted by mail or at early voting sites out of a total of 7.7 million ballots cast in a recent election. This widespread early voting potentially streamlines the Election Day process itself.
Moreover, ballot drop-off procedures differ. In Florida, after a certain date, mail-in ballots could only be dropped off at local county elections offices. In contrast, Maricopa County allowed residents to drop off ballots at any polling location through Election Day. This greater accessibility for Election Day ballot drop-offs in Maricopa County likely contributes to the higher volume of “late earlies” that require post-election processing.
Finally, the sheer size difference between Maricopa County and Florida’s counties is a crucial factor. Miami-Dade County, Florida’s most populous, had around 715,000 voters in a recent election—just over half of Maricopa County’s voter turnout. The larger scale of Maricopa County’s electorate and ballot count naturally translates to a longer processing time.
In conclusion, the reasons behind Arizona’s extended election result timelines are multifaceted. They include the massive scale of Maricopa County’s electorate, the high volume of early ballots—especially those arriving late, the necessary signature verification processes, close races, and specific election-related challenges like ballot printing issues and provisional ballots. When compared to states like Florida, differences in early voting culture, ballot drop-off procedures, and county sizes further explain the variations in election result reporting speeds. These factors combine to create a vote counting process in Arizona that, while thorough and aimed at ensuring accuracy and integrity, inherently takes more time to complete.
