Update, 6:47 p.m. ET: Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richard apologized to “any voter who has been frustrated or inconvenienced today in Maricopa County,” adding that “every legal vote will be tabulated. Broadly speaking, the County Recorder is responsible for voter registration and early voting. The Board of Supervisors is responsible for emergency Voting, Election Day operations, and tabulation,” he added.
The full statement, which was retweeted by Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates, can be read below:
Update, 5:21 p.m. ET: In a pair of Tweets, Maricopa officials announced at 1:06 p.m. local time that the county “has identified the solution for the tabulation issues at about 60 Vote Centers. County technicians have changed the printer settings, which seems to have resolved this issue. It appears some of the printers were not producing dark enough timing marks on ballots,” they added. “This solution has worked at 17 locations, and technicians deployed throughout the county are working to resolve this issue at the remaining locations.”
Update: Maricopa County refuted Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s claim that there were two-hour waits at most Maricopa County polling places. In a tweet, the county stated that the “vast majority of Vote Centers are seeing wait times under 30 minutes.” Additionally, the county’s Election Department announced that voters who checked into a polling station but wish to cast a ballot in another polling site “must first check out with a poll worker at the SiteBook to return the issued ballot.” It added, “After checking out, the voter will be able to vote at any of our locations. Find them at http://Locations.Maricopa.Vote”.
Donald Trump Jr. and other top Republicans are urging Arizona voters to stay in line and not leave polling places as voting machine tabulation problems occur in Maricopa County.
“In about 20 percent of vote centers… when people will go, and they try and run the ballot through this tabulator, maybe one out of every five or so of those ballots they’re not going through,” Bill Gates, the chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, said on Tuesday morning.
Trump Jr. took to Twitter and directed Arizonans to “stay in line no matter what.”
“To all my Arizona friends: Your vote could be a difference-maker. Get to the polls. Once you’re there, stay in line no matter what, and cast your ballot. This is going to be a great day! Do your part and let’s win!” wrote Trump Jr.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake emphasized that those who have “checked in” to polling places “should *not* leave and go to another location without casting a vote.”
“Your provisional ballot at the new location likely will not count,” she added.
Democrat gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs is in change of Arizona’s elections as Secretary of State.
“If you have already checked in at a Maricopa County voting location where the tabulators do not work, you can (1) wait for your ballot to be tabulated on site, (2) ask to use the handicapped voting machine, or (3) leave your ballot in a box to be counted later,” she added.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk stated that lines at most Maricopa County polling locations are two hours long and implored Arizonans to “WAIT IN LINE AND VOTE.”
Arizona republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Blake Masters, echoed the same sentiment, urging voters to stay in line.
“STAY IN LINE UNTIL YOUR VOTE IS COUNTED!” said Masters. “Hard to know if we’re seeing incompetence or something worse. All we know right now is that the Democrats are hoping you will get discouraged and go home. STAY IN LINE UNTIL YOUR VOTE IS COUNTED!”
Republican National Lawyers Association Chairwoman Harmeet K. Dhillon noted those who “have NOT checked in to vote in Maricopa County” and learn a polling place they are about to use if having issues “can go vote at another site in the county.”
“If you are leaving your ballot in the box to be tabulated later, we have trained Republican volunteers who will follow and track the transportation of these ballots and monitor their counting. This was pre-arranged given prior issues in Maricopa County. Do VOTE!” wrote Dhillon in a follow-up tweet.
“If you checked in, voted at a place with non-functioning tabulators for and left your ballot in Box 3 to be tabulated later, in most cases this should be tabulated TONIGHT based on prior elections,” she concluded. “It’s the third option, second option being using the disability machines.”
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