Breaking: 1 in 5 Polling Locations Goes Down in Major Battleground State County
Ballot tabulation machines in about 20 percent of the polling stations in Maricopa County, Arizona, were not working as of Tuesday morning.
KSAZ-TV in Phoenix reported, “While the specific addresses and number of locations having issues have not been confirmed, the Maricopa County Recorder’s Officer says technicians have been called to fix the precinct tabulator machines that aren’t working.”
The Maricopa County Elections Department tweeted, “Advice for Voters: If a tabulator is not working at a site, you can still vote! You have the option to cast your ballot and place it into the secure ballot box.”
“The poll workers on site at the voting location are best equipped to help you ensure your ballot cast.”
Advice for Voters: If a tabulator is not working at a site, you can still vote! You have the option to cast your ballot and place it into the secure ballot box. The poll workers on site at the voting location are best equipped to help you ensure your ballot cast. pic.twitter.com/iobrOHmy86
— Maricopa County Elections Department (@MaricopaVote) November 8, 2022
“We’ve had a few tabulator issues at a couple locations where the tabulator isn’t immediately taking the ballot,” County Recorder Stephen Richer told KSAZ after being asked about two locations with reported issues – Burton Barr Library and Christ Lutheran Church.
Richer said voters at either location could go to a different polling site before casting their ballots. If their ballots have already been cast, they can be counted by the tabulators on site, once they are fixed, or counted at the elections department’s central facility in downtown Phoenix after polls close.
Richer and Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates addressed the issue in a video posted on social media Tuesday morning.
“We’ve got about 20 percent of the locations out there where there’s an issue with the tabulators out there where some of the ballots after people have voted them, they try to run them through the tabulator, and they’re not going through,” Gates said.
Here is a message from Chairman Bill Gates and Recorder Stephen Richer with an update for @maricopacounty voters on Elections Day. pic.twitter.com/OkQczCklGb
— Maricopa County Elections Department (@MaricopaVote) November 8, 2022
He tried to reassure voters that they are trying to fix the problem as quickly as possible.
Gates said if the machine will not take the ballots, they can still be placed in the secure box below it for counting later at the central facility.
That’s how early vote ballots are submitted to be counted, Richer said.
Richer added that’s how ballots are processed that are early voted by going through the central counting facility.
About 9 a.m. local time, Arizona Republican Party chairwoman Kelli Ward tweeted, “As of now, 50 @MaricopaVote polling locations are affected. Fifty out of 233. Over 21%. Ridiculous.”
As of now, 50 @MaricopaVote polling locations are affected. Fifty out of 233. Over 21%. Ridiculous.
— Dr. Kelli Ward 🇺🇸 (@kelliwardaz) November 8, 2022
Elliott Echols, political director for the Republican National Committee, tweeted, “Our attorneys and volunteers are on the ground working to solve this.”
We are aware of tabulator issues at several polling locations in Maricopa County, AZ.
Another display of incompetence from @katiehobbs. Our attorneys and volunteers are on the ground working to solve this.
Stay in line or go to https://t.co/dWzNK2fQLn & find another location! https://t.co/yPQlH6LkDB
— Elliott Echols (@elliott_echols) November 8, 2022
Republican voters historically vote in much larger numbers on Election Day than Democratic voters.
In the 2020, the Election Day vote strongly favored then-President Donald Trump over Democrat Joe Biden.
The lines in Maricopa are insane this morning. This is one poll in Scottsdale at 9am. Keep pushing. Overwhelm the system. pic.twitter.com/XybEL91lP3
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 8, 2022
Maricopa County, which encompasses the Phoenix metropolitan area and is the state’s most populous, includes about 60 percent of the registered voters in Arizona.
Poll worker in Maricopa County confirms “nothing’s working” for the last half hour. Explains misread ballots will get counted downtown tonight. pic.twitter.com/DO6BxhV7Vq
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) November 8, 2022
Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake encouraged Arizonans to vote because their ballot will be counted.
“If you have already *checked in* at a Maricopa County voting location where the tabulators do not work, you should *not* leave and go to another location without casting a vote,” she tweeted.
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. (2/2)
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) November 8, 2022
“[Y]ou 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.
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