Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs

Friday, March 6, 2020

SOS recommends requesting an early ballot by today’s deadline

PHOENIX – Officials from the Governor’s Office, the Secretary of State’s Office, and the Department of Health Services are working together to ensure COVID-19 does not interrupt the ongoing Presidential Preference Election.

“My goal is to make sure voters are able to cast their ballots in a manner that is safe and meaningful to them,” Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said. “Arizona has a number of ways people can make their voices heard. I am recommending that voters call their county recorder or visit my.arizona.vote to request a ballot-by-mail by today’s 5 p.m. deadline. This will ensure voters have an option to vote by mail and avoid Election Day crowds.”

Earlier this week, the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office and county election officials reviewed recommendations for preparing for and reducing exposure to COVID-19 during the remainder of early voting and on Election Day for the Presidential Preference Election.

“Many counties are already implementing the practices recommended by experts in early voting locations and making preparations for Election Day voting sites,” Hobbs said. “We are monitoring the situation closely and planning for contingencies, while counties are responding to the unique needs of their communities.”

Hobbs noted officials are prepared to assist counties in identifying back-up polling place volunteers, if needed, through the Arizona Department of Health Services’ volunteer system. This is a network that can provide broad recruitment of personnel statewide that county election officials can use to identify poll workers in the event of a shortage.

The precautions for voting locations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention(link is external) and Arizona’s Department of Health Services include common sense steps like frequent hand washing, ensuring restrooms have enough soap, regularly disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces, and encouraging those with a fever to stay home. These steps will help provide a safe experience for voters on Election Day.

Hobbs added there are ongoing conversations with the governor, officials from ADHS, and county election officials.


Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 4, 2020

No Second Chance Voting in Arizona

March 4, 2020 (Phoenix)—After Super Tuesday, voters may be left wondering what happens if they voted early for a presidential candidate who recently dropped out of the race.

In Arizona, there is no second chance voting.

If a voter has already mailed in a ballot, election officials cannot reissue a new ballot.

Maricopa County voters who have a marked ballot at home, and want to change their choice have three options:
  1. Follow the Early Voting instructions by crossing out the mistake, and filling in the oval next to their candidate of choice. Senate Bill 1135 allows a bipartisan board to review these contests and quickly adjudicate the voters choice.
  2. Request a replacement ballot by Friday, March 6. Call 602-506-1511 or visit Request.Maricopa.Vote to request a replacement ballot. Voters who have already mailed back a ballot cannot request replacement ballot.
  3. Vote in person early or on Election Day. Visit Locations.Maricopa.Vote for a complete list of voting locations and hours.
Visit CandidateList.Maricopa.Vote for the list of candidates who have dropped out of the race.

Unlike Arizona’s traditional primaries, the Presidential Preference Election is not an open primary. Only Democrats that were registered by the February 18, 2020 deadline are eligible to vote in this election. The Republican and Libertarian parties opted out. Those registered without a party, commonly referred to as independents, are not eligible.

There are 732,380 registered Democrats eligible to participate in the Presidential Preference Election. To date, we’ve mailed nearly 570,000 early ballots and processed nearly 150,000 returned ballots.

Voters have until March 11 to mail back their early ballots for the Democratic Presidential Preference Election. After that date, the Maricopa County Elections Department recommends voters drop off their ballot at any voting location or designated ballot drop box location.

Visit Locations.Maricopa.Vote for a complete list of voting locations and hours.

In order to be valid and counted, state law requires voters to return marked ballots to the Election Department or a voting location by 7 p.m. on Election Day, which is March 17 for the Democratic Presidential Preference Election.

Visit BeBallotReady.vote for more election information.

###

Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 13, 2020  SEE ALSO THE NEXT RELEASE

County Recorder Takes Unprecedented Steps to Enfranchise Voters in Light of COVID-19 Concerns

PHOENIX - As a means to protect voters’ health while maintaining their access to the ballot, Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes took the unprecedented step today of sending ballots by mail to all voters that typically vote on Election Day and are eligible for the Democratic Presidential Preference Election, scheduled for March 17.

“We are in unchartered territory with the COVID-19. My first concern is to protect the health of the voters and staff who work in the polling places while maintaining the integrity of the election. Anything we can do to minimize human interaction in the polling place is what we must to do,” Fontes said.

By mailing out ballots, most voters will now have the option to just drop-off the voted mail ballot at a voting location without going into the polling place or engaging with other voters and staff in order to vote. This will allow voters to keep to “social distancing” protocols recommended by health officials and still have the opportunity to cast a ballot.

“This action of sending out the mail ballots is done in support of what the Board of Supervisors is doing to keep as many polling places open as possible,” Fontes said. “The Recorder’s Office is doing all it can to support their Election Day effort. We want that plan to be as successful as possible in making sure voters have options and availability to cast their ballots.”

Fontes said he made the decision to mail out the ballots to traditional Election Day voters who are not on the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL) following a series of cancellations by polling place locations and election worker staff.  There is also a lack of cleaning supplies available to meet County Health Department directives for preventing the potential spread of disease in the polling places.

“The Board of Supervisors is doing all they can to keep polling places open, staffed and clean and I applaud their efforts. But I felt this additional option was necessary to serve our voters,” Fontes said.

Fontes acknowledged that the law does not contemplate this type of situation but felt that, as the elected official responsible by law for early voting in Maricopa County, the health crisis creates an emergency situation that demands decisive action to protect the public health.

“There will be some who will say there is no authority to mail ballots to all voters under the law, but there is no prohibition either. Considering this unprecedented emergency situation, we need to act to both enfranchise the voters and protect public health. This plan accomplishes both of those goals,” Fontes said.

Voters will likely receive their mail ballots on Monday and Tuesday and are advised that they should NOT mail back the ballots. By law, all ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Voters should instead DROP-OFF the ballots at one of the many locations available to vote over the weekend, on Monday and on Election Day. The voting and ballot drop-off locations can be found at www.locations.maricopa.vote.

The Presidential Preference Election is Tuesday, March 17.

###
Contact: Kathren Coleman
kcoleman@risc.maricopa.gov
480.438.0919

Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 13, 2020

Fontes' Emergency Mail Ballot Plan Thwarted by Political, Legal Maneuvering

PHOENIX - The Attorney General today successfully maneuvered a court procedure to stop Recorder Adrian Fontes’ effort to expand voting options.

Fontes was set to mail ballots today to voters who are not on the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL) but eligible for the Democratic Presidential Preference Election on March 17. The goal of the mailed ballot distribution plan was to allow access to voting while cutting down on the need for the public and election workers to interact and touch equipment in polling places, potentially exposing them to the COVID-19.

The temporary restraining order stopped Fontes from putting the printed ballots, which had been coordinated for delivery with U.S.P.S. and were ready to mail, on the trucks to the post office.

Earlier today, Fontes said in a press release, “We are in unchartered territory with the COVID-19. My first concern is to protect the health of the voters and staff who work in the polling places while maintaining the integrity of the election. Anything we can do to minimize human interaction in the polling place is what we must to do.”

Fontes’ plan was to mail-out ballots, giving voters the option to just drop-off the voted mail ballot at a voting location without going into the polling place or engaging with other voters and staff in order to vote. This would have allowed voters to keep to “social distancing” protocols recommended by health officials and still have the opportunity to cast a ballot. It also would have helped alleviate potential lines and voter access issues as the number of locations available for polling places continues to decline due to COVID-19 concerns.

“There is a national health emergency. It is time for decisive leadership. My goal is to give voters every option available to vote and still protect public health but it seems that some politicians are more interested in splitting hairs over legal issues and playing politics,” Fontes said.

“Some have accused me of ‘going rogue’ – well, if going rouge means helping voters and keeping them safe during a public health emergency, then I guess I am,” Fontes said, in explanation of his decision to send out the ballots under an emergency action, despite not having explicit authority under statute to do so. Fontes argued that state law does not specifically prohibit him from sending the ballots.

“In times of emergency, leaders need to step-up and take care of the public. My public is the voters. I am very disappointed that politicians who don’t share this priority were successful in stopping my effort. But, we have an election to run. I am committed now to working with and supporting the Board to run the smoothest Election Day possible,” Fontes said.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors announced today that they would be reducing the number of voting locations on Election Day due to cancellations by polling place locations and election worker staff. There is also a lack of cleaning supplies available to meet County Health Department directives for preventing the potential spread of disease in the polling places.

The Presidential Preference Election is Tuesday, March 17.

###

Contact: Kathren Coleman
kcoleman@risc.maricopa.gov
480.438.0919

Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 14, 2020

Maricopa County Voting Location Options

March 14, 2020 (Phoenix) — Due to the rapidly changing dynamics of COVID-19, the Maricopa County Elections Department has changed Election Day polling locations.

In-person voters no longer have assigned polling location. Voters may now select from any of our geographically dispersed Vote Centers. It’s important for the public to visit our website at BeBallotReady.vote to find out if they’re eligible for this election and to find their nearest voting location.

Additionally, if voters are experiencing an emergency that would prevent them from voting on Election Day, they can also vote at one of seven Emergency Voting locations open today and Monday. State law requires that a voter must provide identification and sign a statement under penalty of perjury attesting that they have experienced an emergency preventing them from voting on Election Day.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved the following locations in February as Emergency Vote Centers, open Saturday, March 14 and Monday, March 16:

  • Faith Lutheran Church – 801 E. Camelback Rd. in Phoenix (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
  • Maricopa County Elections Department – Mesa, 222 E. Javelina Ave. in Mesa (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
  • Mesa Community College at Red Mountain – Mesa, 7110 E. McKellips Rd. (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
  • Queen Creek Unified School District Office – 20217 E. Chandler Heights Rd. in Queen Creek (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
  • South Mountain Community Center – 212 E. Alta Vista Rd. in Phoenix (9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
  • Surprise City Hall – 16000 N. Civic Center Plaza in Surprise (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
  • Tolleson Council Chambers – 9555 W. Van Buren St. in Tolleson (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
For the past several weeks, the Elections Department has been working to source enough supplies to regularly clean and disinfect 229 polling locations. Due to widespread shortages, it became clear that the Elections Department would not have enough supplies to ensure voting equipment and frequently touched surfaced could be regularly cleaned and disinfected at all 229 locations.

This innovative solution to provide voters geographically dispersed “vote anywhere” locations, allows equal access to the polls, while prioritizing the health and safety of the public.

The Elections Department selected the locations based on a variety of factors including sites with a high density of Democrat in-person voting, and locations that serve historically underserved populations.

This change will not affect the Election Department’s ability to report results by Congressional District, as required by law, but the previous plan to provide granular detail by consolidated precinct will no longer be viable with the new Vote Center model.

The Democratic Presidential Preference Election Day is Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

Visit BeBallotReady.vote for more election information.

###

Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 16, 2020

Extended Drop Box Hours for Maricopa County Voters

Updated at 9:25 a.m. March 16, 2020 (Phoenix) — The Maricopa County Elections Department has extended drop box hours at five of the seven Emergency Voting locations until 9 p.m. today for voters with early ballots. Voters do not have to have an emergency to drop off a ballot.

The drop box outside of the Elections Department in Phoenix is open 24 hours-a-day. Voters must return ballots to a voting location or an official ballot drop box no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, March 17.

Monday’s ballot drop off locations are as follows (italicized locations also offer in-person Emergency Voting until 5 p.m. for voters experiencing and emergency that would prevent them from voting on Election Day):

  • Maricopa County Elections Department – MCTEC, 510 S. 3rd Ave. in Phoenix (24 hours)
  • Goodyear City Hall, 190 N. Litchfield Rd. in Goodyear (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
  • Faith Lutheran Church, 801 E. Camelback Rd. in Phoenix (8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
  • Maricopa County Elections Department – Mesa, 222 E. Javelina Ave. in Mesa (8 a.m. - 9 p.m.)
  • Mesa Community College at Red Mountain – Mesa, 7110 E. McKellips Rd. (8:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.)
  • Queen Creek Unified School District Office, 20217 E. Chandler Heights Rd in Queen Creek (8:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.)
  • South Mountain Community Center, 212 E. Alta Vista Rd. in Phoenix (9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
  • Surprise City Hall, 16000 N. Civic Center Plaza in Surprise (8:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.)
  • Tolleson Council Chambers, 9555 W. Van Buren St. in Tolleson (8:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.)
Due to the rapidly changing dynamics of COVID-19, the Maricopa County Elections Department changed Election Day polling locations. In-person voters no longer have an assigned polling location. Voters may now select from any of our geographically dispersed Vote Centers. It’s important for the public to visit our website at BeBallotReady.vote to find out if they’re eligible for this election and their nearest voting location.

We are working to balance equal access to the polls, while prioritizing the health and safety of the public. Reducing polling sites, but increasing Vote Centers accomplishes both. Fewer polling locations also provides poll workers more cleaning supplies and ability to meet U.S. Centers for Disease Control surface cleaning directives.

There are 732,380 registered Democrats eligible to participate in the Presidential Preference Election. As of Sunday, voters requested over 571,100 early ballots and we’ve processed over 285,174 of those ballots.

The Democratic Presidential Preference Election Day is Tuesday, March 17, 2020.
Visit BeBallotReady.vote for more election information.

###

Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2020

All Presidential Preference Election Ballots Counted in Maricopa County

March 26, 2020 (Phoenix) – All ballots have been counted in Maricopa County for the March 17 Presidential Preference Election.

The breakdown:
  • 732,376 eligible voters
  • 358,390 ballots cast
  • 48.94% turnout
“The nation’s eyes watched us on Election Day, and the Board of Supervisors could not be more proud of how Maricopa County came together to support this election,” said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Clint Hickman, District 4. “Our goal throughout this crisis was to ensure access to the polls while balancing the health and safety of voters and election workers.”

Due to the rapidly changing dynamics of COVID-19, election officials took the unprecedented step to redesign an entire election in five days to ensure poll workers had sufficient supplies to regularly clean and disinfect voting equipment and frequently touched surfaces.

Throughout the election, Maricopa County voters had access to vote at home, in person starting 27-days prior to Election Day, through our special election boards, during emergency voting, and at any of the 148 vote centers on Election Day.

“The county’s robust vote by mail system gave us a powerful tool to ensure people’s right to vote while protecting public health. The county’s election team worked together seamlessly to make sure voters could cast their ballots, despite the many challenges COVID-19 threw at us,” said Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes. “Democratic turnout was higher this year than it was for the 2016 Presidential Preference Election, and nearly 90 percent of them voted by mail or dropped off ballots.”

In addition to Elections Department and Recorder’s Office staff members, employees across all county departments came together to help. They staffed closed polling locations to send voters to the nearest vote centers, set up polling locations, served as poll workers and troubleshooters, and worked in the command center. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office also worked to keep everyone safe.

“This is a great example of how good leadership and a solid team can work together by adapting quickly in a crisis,” said Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, District 5. “When the COVID-19 pandemic forced all of us to adjust our plans, the elections team worked tirelessly to make sure voters across the county had equal access to the polls.”

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will officially canvass the election on Friday, March 27 at 10:45 a.m. The canvass certifies that all ballots cast are accounted for and ensures that every valid vote cast is included in the final election results.

Following social distancing guidelines, the Board is holding all meetings remotely. Residents can submit comments by emailing Agenda.Comments@Maricopa.Gov. Live video feeds will be available online at Maricopa County’s YouTube page here.

###