Maricopa County, Arizona, certified the results of the Nov. 8 midterm elections Monday despite objections and problems at some polling places on Election Day.
“Today's canvass represents another important step in the democratic process," Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates, District 3 said in a press release from the county on Monday. "I appreciate the work of Recorder Richer and his team helping more than a million people vote early, and I am proud of the way our Elections Department responded to unexpected challenges on Election Day and provided voters with proven, secure options that allowed their votes to count. I am confident the canvass provides an accurate tally of all legal votes.”
According to the county, more than 1.56 million votes were cast in the election from 64.2% of registered voters.
The county said that it increased the number of polling locations from 175 to 223 for the 540,000 voters that went in person on Election Day as opposed to voting by mail or voting early, making the average wait time at the polling location less than six minutes.
About 1% of voters, however, were impacted by printer issues at 43 polling sites on Election Day and had to place their ballots in a secure container after the printer could not successfully read the ballots due to ink issues, according to the county.
“This election was safe, secure, and accurate. That's the bottom line. The rhetoric suggesting otherwise is the true threat to our democracy, and a disservice to the hard-working election employees and officials who ensured voters had the ability to cast their vote," Supervisor Steve Gallardo, District 5 said in the release. "We will push past the noise, focus on what matters, and continue to follow the law. That's what we're doing today with this canvass, moving Arizona forward and respecting the will of 1.56 million Maricopa County voters.”
The county voted to certify the results ahead of Monday’s deadline and the canvass will now head to the state to be certified on Dec. 5, according to the release.
Although Maricopa and Mohave counties certified their respective results, Cochise County is refusing to approve its canvass, azfamily.com is reporting.
Republican Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Wright sent a letter to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors requesting answers to a series of questions regarding the election and saying she would not certify results from the county until those questions were answered, KTAR News reported Sunday.
The county responded to Wright’s questions in a letter Sunday “addressing” the legal issues she raised.
“Coming out of the Thanksgiving holiday, I’m grateful for county staff who worked with great care and resolve to answer questions from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office about the November General Election. The AG’s Office sent their letter with urgency, and we responded with urgency,” Board Chairman Bill Gates said in a statement. “Our response is available for the public to read in its entirety and details how Maricopa County followed the state and federal laws to ensure every voter was provided the opportunity to cast a ballot.”
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