Arizona’s 2-page ballots could make for long lines on Election Day
PHOENIX — Arizona election officials are warning that delays at polling places and voting machines could get jammed as voters fill out multi-page ballots, an unusual occurrence in the state where the presidential election remains uncertain.
Most Arizona voters receive a two-page ballot printed on both sides. This is the first time in nearly two decades that ballots in the state’s most populous county are longer than one page.
Officials in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, say nine of the state’s 15 counties are moving away from single-item ballots this year in favor of newly designed 17-inch paper ballots. They will vary slightly by county due to the number of local races, but will include an average of 79 contests for local, state and federal offices, as well as statewide ballots.
While many other states routinely handle multi-page ballots without issue, any change in voting procedures in Arizona creates fertile ground for legal challenges and the spread of election conspiracy theories.
The state has been a hotbed of election disinformation since the last century. President Donald Trump narrowly lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Officials who deny the results of that election sit in local election offices and county commissions.
Stephen Richer, the Republican elections chairman in Maricopa County, who has tirelessly defended the legitimacy of Arizona’s elections, lost his bid for re-election this summer in the Republican primaries.
The move to a multi-page ballot, the first since 2006, has prompted election officials to educate voters before early voting begins.
Maricopa County Elections Director Scott Jarrett said there will be a record 246 polling places, compared to 175 during the last presidential election, and 8,000 voting booths, compared to 5,000.
He is encouraging the estimated 2.1 million voters expected to turn out in Arizona to research elections and ballot proposals ahead of the Nov. 5 election and decide how they will vote: by mail or in person.
Jack Balson, a 64-year-old retired Republican from Phoenix, said the longer voting could deter some voters. He plans to vote for the president anyway.
“Make it difficult, set the lines and people will turn around and go home,” he said.
Ahmad Tamimi, who is voting in independent elections for the first time, will not be impressed by a long vote.
“I really don’t mind the questions,” said Tamini, a 23-year-old nursing student at Phoenix College.
In northern Arizona, Coconino County officials are also encouraging voters to plan ahead. Some in the city of Page are getting a two-page, four-sided ballot, which can lead to long lines on Election Day.
Arizona officials expect more than a million people to vote early using mail-in ballots. Between 625,000 and 730,000 voters will drop off their ballots on Nov. 5, while the rest will vote in person.
“What voters need to know is that it takes longer to fill out the ballot because there are so many more questions,” Jarrett said.
He estimated that most voters would take between nine and 13 minutes to complete their ballot, but that it could take some as long as two hours.
Jarrett warned that voting machines could get jammed in Maricopa County because voters have to insert two sheets of paper instead of one when casting their ballots. Poll workers are getting extra training on how to troubleshoot the voting machines and address any concerns voters may have.
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Gabriel Sandoval is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-reported issues.