money Arizona Election Day recap: Hobbs leads Lake in governor's race in early results
Polls opened for in-person voting from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday as Arizona and the nation wrap up a contentious midterm election.
Republican Kari Lake, the Trump-backed former TV news anchor, is squaring off against Democrat Katie Hobbs, Arizona's secretary of state, in a high-profile race for who will become governor. Trump-endorsed Republican Blake Masters and Democratic incumbent Mark Kelly also are locked in a tight contest for a U.S. Senate seat.
Looking for the latest updates? Follow Wednesday's coverage of Arizona's midterm election by Republic reporters.
It all turns on Maricopa County: Takeaways from a day of glitches, conspiracies and a lawsuit
Lessons learned: GOP defections, Democratic spending among the midterm standouts
What's left: Major races in Arizona that don't yet have a winner
Here is a recap of Tuesday's election events.
Hobbs leading Lake in early results for governor’s race
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Katie Hobbs was ahead of Republican Kari Lake in early election results released Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
The race between Lake, the former Fox 10 news anchor, and Hobbs, the outgoing secretary of state and former lawmaker, had been labeled a toss-up by some polls and analysts.
2:30 a.m.: Maricopa County ballot drop shows tightening races
Maricopa County posted a large number of additional ballot results between 1 and 2 a.m. Wednesday. Some race outlooks tightened or changed with the new additions.
Gubernatorial hopeful Republican Kari Lake gained ground on Democrat Katie Hobbs, who still led following the latest returns.
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., remained ahead over Republican challenger Blake Masters, though that margin also lessened.
Maricopa County has reported results from Election Day ballots from all 223 vote sites, according to the county. Staff early Wednesday morning were preparing to signature verify the many early ballots dropped off Tuesday.
The race for Maricopa County Attorney flipped with the latest update. Rachel Mitchell, who was appointed to the position in April, was leading by a narrow margin over Democrat Julie Gunnigle after the early morning ballot additions.
Five U.S. House races remained undecided as of Wednesday morning.
In the 1st Congressional District, Democrat Jevin Hodge led incumbent Republican David Schweikert.
In the 2nd Congressional District, Republican Eli Crane was ahead of incumbent Democrat Tom O'Halleran.
Incumbent Democrat Greg Stanton was well ahead of Republican Kelly Cooper in the 4th Congressional District.
In the 5th Congressional District, incumbent Republican Rep. Andy Biggs had a sizable lead over Democrat Javier Ramos and independent Clint Smith.
And Democrat Kirsten Engel led Republican Juan Ciscomani in the 6th Congressional District.
In Arizona’s Corporation Commission race, Republicans Kevin Thompson and Nick Myers overtook incumbent Democrat Sandra Kennedy and Democrat Lauren Kuby, though with tight margins. The Democrats led after initial results Tuesday evening for two seats on the state commission.
Early race results flipped for Proposition 132 in the latest update. “Yes” was just narrowly ahead of “no” votes as of Wednesday morning. The proposition would require 60% of voters to approve any new tax via a ballot measure.
Result tallies so far are available here.
1:20 a.m.: South Phoenix sees horses and enthusiasm on Election Day
On Tuesday afternoon in south Phoenix, the national group Poder Latinx kicked off its "Cabalgata a Las Urnas" as a final push to mobilize Latino voters in Arizona before the polls closed.
Dozens of horses and “charros” paraded from a ranch to Westridge Baptist Church in west Phoenix, across the street from the Fowler Elementary School polling site. The celebration outside the church featured a free taco truck and horses moving to music played by La Banda Xplosiva.
The event was part of Poder Latinx’s efforts to build political power among the Latino community in Arizona by reaching residents in a cultural manner, said Executive Director Yadira Sanchez. The group also organizes in Florida, Georgia and Washington — places where Latino political representation is not where it could be, she said.
“We chose activities that our community is familiar with,” Sanchez said. “La Cabalgata is a very popular activity that resonates not only in Mexican culture but other cultures in Latin America.”
The event was intended to be a celebration of democracy as well. “In Latin America, you go sometimes on a weekend, not Tuesday, and it’s a big party, a big fiesta,” Sanchez said. “So we’re trying to replicate that on a Tuesday evening.”
Sanchez said they planned to knock on doors around the Fowler Elementary polling site to let people know they still had time before the polls closed and that the group would "be there waiting for them with tacos and music after they vote."
Elsewhere in south Phoenix, Benjamin Tarango and Rosa Sanchez Tarango cast their ballots at Moose Lodge near the foot of South Mountain.
Both Democrats, they said the most important issue to them this election was the improvement of south Phoenix, where they have lived for almost 40 years.
Benjamin Tarango said he wanted to see improved streets, infrastructure, houses and local education.
“It’s important that we make ourselves counted because we’re in this country,” Rosa Sanchez Tarango said in Spanish.
Benjamin Tarango hoped “que no los abandonan a los Hispanos,” he said. “That they do not abandon the Hispanics.”
— Madeleine Parrish
12:50 a.m.: Arizonans vote against Prop. 128; Legislature can't change ballot measures
Arizonans voted against Proposition 128, which would have allowed the Legislature to change ballot measures that voters approved or divert funds from them if either the Arizona Supreme Court or U.S. Supreme Court deemed a measure unconstitutional.
12:40 a.m.: Phoenix sees close City Council races
Phoenix's two competitive City Council contests were too close to call based on early ballot counts Tuesday, but the unofficial tallies showed tight races that could lead to runoff contests.
District 8 incumbent Carlos Garcia was in a dead heat with challenger Kesha Hodge Washington to represent part of south Phoenix.
Kevin Robinson narrowly pulled ahead in the open field of eight candidates vying to replace term-limited Sal DiCiccio in District 6. Trailing by a small margin behind Robinson in early results was Joan Greene and Sam Stone.
If early return trends hold, the two top candidates in both races will head to a runoff in March. Runoffs occur when no single candidate gets more than 50% of the vote.
— Taylor Seely
12:30 a.m.: Republican confident in comeback for Corporation Commission
Crowds were thinning at the Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch as midnight approached, but candidates at the GOP Election Day celebration remained upbeat.
Kevin Thompson, a Mesa councilman running for one of two seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities, was trailing two Democrats in his race by a few percentage points.
But like other GOP candidates, he said he expects things to change as more rural county votes are reported, as well as votes cast on Tuesday, which are expected to favor Republicans.
“We did really well in the rural counties,” he said of his campaign. For the race, he teamed up with Nick Myers, a Republican policy adviser at the commission, traveling the state together to reach voters. Myers is also behind the Democrats in early returns.
Should he win, Thompson said his first order of business at the commission would be to improve the regulatory environment for utilities, which he said face higher borrowing costs because of the unpredictable decisions that Arizona regulators have made for utilities. When utilities face higher borrowing costs, they pass it on to customers.
“It is costing us money as consumers,” Thompson said.
— Ryan Randazzo
12:20 a.m.: Attorney general candidates talk election outlook
Democrat Kris Mayes is leading Republican Abe Hamadeh for Arizona attorney general in early returns.
Mayes expressed optimism in a phone interview with The Republic about 11:40 p.m. on election night.
“It’s going to take a few days to get the final results, but I’m cautiously optimistic. Arizona showed tonight that it does not want election deniers in office. Arizona wants an attorney general that is concerned about abortion rights, democracy and water conservation,” Mayes said.
At the Republican election night party in Scottsdale, Hamadeh addressed the crowd shortly before midnight.
“The biggest threat to democracy is incompetent election officials. All we are asking for are free, fair, and transparent, competent elections. But Arizona, once every vote is counted … I assure you, we will be victorious,” Hamadeh said.
— Tara Kavaler
12:10 a.m.: Navajo Nation president loses reelection
Buu Nygren has been elected as Navajo Nation president and Richelle Montoya will serve as vice president, the first woman to serve in that office. The unofficial results were released Tuesday from the Navajo Nation Election Administration.
Nygren defeated incumbent President Jonathan Nez, who was seeking a second term in office. He had started the evening with the lead, but Nygren soon took over and finally won enough votes to secure the victory.
— Arlyssa D. Becenti
12 a.m.: Prescott's LGBTQ community concerned about election results
Among some of the voters who have expressed concern about the pending results of Tuesday's election: Prescott’s queer community.
Though a conservative city, Prescott has a hefty LGBTQ community. But many would never know it because politics has forced people back into the closet, LGBTQ leaders said.
John Duncan, who helps run the Prism Network that connects gay communities among northern Arizona cities and towns, has lived in Prescott his entire life. He said the political tenor has made the area unsafe for queer people, especially transgender people.
“We have a pride event, but we don’t call it a pride event because we’re worried about what will happen to people if we do,” said Teresa Landreth, an organizer for transgender communities in the region. “We have a lot of people who are trans here, and they just want to live their lives. They don’t want to fight battles. They’ve gone through it.”
Molly Frieburg, executive director of Prism Network, said the politics is oppressive for LGBTQ people.
“The politics has amped up around here to the point where even among our community organizations we’ve worked with in the past, I’m having people feel comfortable saying, ‘We don’t want you,’” Frieburg said.
“We want people to know that this discrimination is happening,” she said. “But we also have to protect our community.”
— Joseph Darius Jaafari
11:45 p.m.: Voters pass Prop. 211, choosing more transparency in political spending
Voters pulled back the curtain on anonymous campaign spending Tuesday, passing a law that requires public disclosure of big-dollar donors to political committees.
Proposition 211 jumped to an early and big lead and never let up, winning in all 15 counties.
The measure will require so-called dark money groups to name the donors who contribute at least $5,000 to a political committee, in a move that will provide more transparency in political spending.
— Mary Jo Pitzl
11:35 p.m.: Arizona voters opt to lower maximum medical debt interest rates
Arizonans voted to lower maximum interest rates on medical debt and change rules on general debt collection after passing Proposition 209.
11:30 p.m.: Few gather outside Maricopa County tabulation center
At least 30 journalists from across the country and around the world waited for hours outside the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix on a gradually cooling Tuesday night to see if crowds gathered. They didn't.
At first, there were only two self-described patriots camped outside.
About an hour later, they were joined by two women who danced as they called on Jesus to help with ballot counting inside.
"I'm pleading the blood of Jesus over our nation," said Leslie Taylor, with tears in her eyes. "We already won. The election is ours. There is no one who can take it back to the evil side."
Her friend, Michele Gordon, lamented the 2020 election and said that her vote wasn't counted. Times have gotten tumultuous, she said.
"We want fair elections," she said. "What is going on right now is wrong and corrupt.”
— Jose Gonzalez
11:20 p.m.: Maricopa County provides more details on ballot counting plan
Ballots dropped by voters into “door 3” blue tubs at polling places will be tabulated Wednesday, according to Rey Valenzuela, co-elections director for Maricopa County.
The counting process for these ballots will be similar to the early ballots dropped off on Election Day, though early ballots go through signature verification.
All ballots successfully processed by polling place tabulator machines will be included in Tuesday evening results, Valenzuela said. Other ballots will be counted later in the week alongside the early ballots dropped off Tuesday.
“Door 3” refers to a secure ballot box at polling places. Voters whose ballots weren’t accepted by malfunctioning machines were told to place their ballots in the “door 3” box to be counted later or else vote at a different location.
— Sasha Hupka
10:50 p.m. Hobbs, Lake address supporters as vote counting continues
Gubernatorial candidates Katie Hobbs and Kari Lake addressed their supporters after early results showed Hobbs ahead of Lake.
Lake, the Republican and former Fox 10 news anchor, struck an optimistic tone and criticized the election process in a speech at a watch party shortly after 10 p.m.
Hobbs, the Democrat and outgoing secretary of state, spoke to supporters earlier in the evening and said she’s “feeling good” about the early results.
She said county election officials are hard at work tallying votes and will be tabulating for the next few days.
“We need to be patient and wait for every vote to be counted because every single vote matters and every single vote counts equally,” Hobbs said.
Lake took a critical tone toward the vote-counting process, saying “when we win,” the first course of action will be to “restore honesty to Arizona elections.”
She said she expects to declare victory and then will get to work to root out “incompetency” and “corruption” in Arizona elections. Lake said the current election system does not work and that people should know the winner and loser on election night.
“We will take the victory when it comes, and we will turn this around,” Lake told a cheering crowd of GOP supporters.
— Alison Steinbach
10:10 p.m.: Gallego, Grijalva win reelection
Incumbent Democratic Reps. Ruben Gallego and Raúl Grijalva will keep their seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after winning reelection Tuesday.
The Associated Press called the races for both candidates, who had sizable leads over their Republican challengers in early results.
Gallego was up against political newcomer Jeff Zink in Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District. Grijalva faced first-time candidate Luis Pozzolo in the 7th Congressional District.
— Alison Steinbach
10 p.m.: Democrats leading Republicans in key Arizona Senate and House races in early results
Democratic candidates in crucial state Senate and House races led their Republican opponents in initial ballot results released Tuesday.
Only a handful of 30 state Senate races will determine control of the chamber.
And Democrats’ plan to capture six crucial seats in the state House of Representatives was still in play after the release of the first batch of early voting results released Tuesday night.
— Ray Stern
9:50 p.m.: Candidate leading in Page justice of peace race recently died
Over a month after his death on Sept. 30, Donald G. Roberts is leading in the race for justice of the peace in Page, according to preliminary election results.
Roberts was first elected to the role in 1987 and served through 1994. Almost a decade later, in 2003, Roberts was again elected to serve as the justice of the peace for the Page Precinct, a role he held until his death.
After his passing, the Coconino County Elections Department began accepting nominations for write-in candidates for the position. Ultimately five candidates entered the race, but preliminary results show that Roberts still earned more votes than the rest of the candidates combined.
— Lacey Latch
9:30 p.m.: Supporters of in-state tuition for Dreamers optimistic
Supporters of Proposition 308 expressed optimism that their lead in the first batch of voting results would hold as more votes are counted.
The ballot measure would grant in-state tuition to undocumented students.
Carlos Alfaro, campaign manager for Yes on 308, said the early results showed the influence of a bipartisan coalition of community and elected leaders to promote the initiative.
“I’m confident because not only is it a big margin that we started out with, but as we went around to the different polling locations that our volunteers were at, we saw Republican, Democrat and Independent voters and heard back from them that they were voting yes,” Alfaro said.
Progressive groups, including the organizations supporting Proposition 308, gathered at Xico Inc. in downtown Phoenix to watch the news as results are tabulated.
Alfaro credited the work of undocumented students, also known as Dreamers, in helping get the word out, especially given the ballot's len
“Our campaign tried to take every single opportunity to tell Arizona voters that this was on the ballot,” he said. “Because it was such a busy ballot with 10 ballot initiatives on there, even though most Arizonans agree, it was hard to get awareness out.”
— Rafael Carranza
9:20 p.m.: Early results on the 10 ballot measures
Proposition 128: “No” leading “yes” in early results. The proposition would allow the Legislature to change ballot measures that voters approve, or to divert funds from them if either the Arizona Supreme Court or U.S. Supreme Court determines a measure is unconstitutional.
Proposition 129: “Yes” narrowly leading “no” in early results. The proposition would require future voter initiatives to cover only one subject and would require a description of that subject in the title. Any portion of such an initiative not addressed in the title would be void, even if approved by voters.
Proposition 130: “Yes” leading “no” in early results. The proposition would allow property tax exemptions for veterans with disabilities, people with total and permanent disabilities, widows and widowers, regardless of when they became Arizona residents.
Proposition 131: “Yes” leading “no” in early results. The proposition would change the Arizona Constitution to create the position of lieutenant governor.
Proposition 132: “No” leading “yes” in early results. The proposition would require 60% of voters to approve any new tax via a ballot measure.
Proposition 209: “Yes” leading “no” in early results. The proposition would lower the interest rate cap on medical debt and increase the value of assets protected from certain creditors.
Proposition 211: “Yes” leading “no” in early results. The proposition would require disclosure of the donors who currently can give to an umbrella organization for political advertisements and not have their names reported.
Proposition 308: “Yes” leading “no” in early results. The proposition would allow any college student, regardless of their legal status in the U.S., to qualify for in-state tuition if they graduated from an Arizona high school and have lived in the state for two years prior.
Proposition 309: “No” leading “yes” in early results. The proposition would tighten identification requirements for voters, both those who vote by mail and those who vote at the polls on Election Day.
Proposition 310: “Yes” was very narrowly leading “no” in early results. The proposition would establish a Fire District Safety Fund through a sales tax increase of one-tenth of 1%.
8:30 p.m.: Congressional District 1: Hodge leading Schweikert in early results
Democrat Jevin Hodge led incumbent Republican David Schweikert in early ballot results released at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
8:30 p.m.: Congressional District 2: O’Halleran and Crane nearly even in early results
Incumbent Democrat Tom O’Halleran and Republican Eli Crane were neck and neck in early results posted Tuesday evening, with Crane just slightly ahead.
8:30 p.m.: Congressional District 3: Gallego leading over Zink
Incumbent Democrat Ruben Gallego had a sizable lead over Republican challenger Jeff Zink, per early ballot results posted Tuesday at 8 p.m.
8:30 p.m.: Congressional District 4: Stanton leading Cooper
Incumbent Democrat Greg Stanton was well ahead of Republican Kelly Cooper in early ballot results released Tuesday evening.
8:30 p.m.: Congressional District 5: Biggs and Ramos in close race
Incumbent Republican Andy Biggs had a slight lead on Democrat Javier Ramos in the first batch of results released Tuesday evening. Independent Clint Smith trailed.
8:30 p.m.: Congressional District 6: Close race between Ciscomani and Engel
Republican Juan Ciscomani and Democrat Kirsten Engel were in a tight race, though few ballots were released in the first drop of results at 8 p.m.
8:30 p.m.: Congressional District 7: Grijalva ahead over Pozzolo
Incumbent Democrat Raul Grijalva had a sizable lead over Republican Luis Pozzolo in early results released by the state at 8 p.m.
8:30 p.m.: Lesko wins reelection in 8th Congressional District
Incumbent Rep. Debbie Lesko won reelection in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. Lesko, R-Ariz., ran unopposed in the general election.
8:30 p.m.: Gosar wins reelection in 9th Congressional District
Incumbent Rep. Paul Gosar won reelection in Arizona’s 9th Congressional District. Gosar, R-Ariz., ran unopposed in the general election.
8 p.m.: Kelly leading Masters for U.S. Senate seat in early results
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., was ahead over Republican challenger for U.S. Senate Blake Masters in the first drop of results released by the state shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday.
The race had tightened in recent weeks and was expected to be very close.
8 p.m.: Adrian Fontes ahead early over Mark Finchem for secretary of state
Democrat Adrian Fontes led Republican Mark Finchem in their contest for secretary of state, per first results.
The race has pitted Fontes, who oversaw the 2020 presidential election as Maricopa County recorder, against Finchem, a four-term state lawmaker and arguably the loudest election denier in the state.
The winner would also be next in line to succeed the governor if that office is vacated for any reason.
8 p.m.: Democrat Kris Mayes leading in early results over Abe Hamadeh for attorney general
First ballots showed Democrat Kris Mayes led Republican Abe Hamadeh in their contest to become Arizona's next attorney general.
Mayes, a former member of the Arizona Corporation Commission, and Hamadeh, a former prosecutor at the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, have hit each other with tough rhetoric on social media and at campaign events in a heated race where abortion and election integrity were top issues.
8 p.m.: Julie Gunnigle leading Rachel Mitchell for Maricopa County attorney in early results
Democrat Julie Gunnigle led Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell in their race to lead the prosecutorial agency, according to first ballots.
Mitchell, a Republican and longtime agency employee, was appointed to fill the position in April. Gunnigle, a reform-minded Democrat, ran as an outsider and critic of the agency.
8 p.m.: Yee ahead over Quezada in treasurer’s race early results
Kimberly Yee, the incumbent treasurer and a former state lawmaker, was ahead in early results over Democrat Martín Quezada, a state senator.
Yee was seeking another four years in office. She was the first Asian American candidate to win statewide office in Arizona when she was elected in 2018. Quezada has said he ran to improve a statewide office that is too often used as a stepping stone for politicians.
8 p.m.: Kathy Hoffman leading in bid for reelection as schools superintendent per initial results
Incumbent Democrat Kathy Hoffman was leading in early results over Republican challenger Tom Horne for superintendent of public instruction.
Hoffman was running for a second term and Horne was seeking what would be his third term as state superintendent.
8 p.m.: Kennedy and Kuby leading in early results for Arizona Corporation Commission
Democrats Sandra Kennedy and Lauren Kuby held narrow leads over Republicans Kevin Thompson and Nick Myers in the race to fill two seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission, the body that decides things like rate hikes for electric, water and gas utilities.
Kennedy was the only incumbent on the ballot for the commission.
7:50 p.m.: GOP strategy to vote more on Election Day stressed system
Republican suspicions about mail-in ballots meant many GOP voters waited for Election Day to vote. It was a strategy pushed by party leaders and one that always carries some risk.
On Tuesday, that risk materialized with glitches and long lines.
Badly printed ballots affected about 60 voting centers in Maricopa County, roughly 30% of the total. Voters whose ballots weren’t accepted by machines were told to place their ballots in a secure ballot box labeled “door 3” to be counted later or go to a different voting location.
Some people in metro Phoenix waited in line for a half-hour or more, too.
No one’s vote was disenfranchised because of the issues, county officials said. But hiccups at the polls were just another example of why voting by mail is better, said Chuck Coughlin, a Republican political consultant.
“That is the problem, you tell people to wait for Election Day, you put a lot of stress on mechanical machines — and machines break,” Coughlin said. “Maybe people will vote by mail next time.”
Most people already do, even Republicans. But this election cycle, far more Democrats voted early than Republicans. Democratic strategist Sam Almy noted on Twitter after 5 p.m. that of ballots returned on Tuesday, Republicans outnumbered Democrats 3.5 to 1.
Republican political consultant Constantin Querard said that because his job is to make sure his candidates win, “I like knowing my votes are already nice and warm, all safe in the ballot box — hopefully, days ahead of the election.”
Snow or rain can also be a problem for someone who waited until Election Day to vote, though not so much in Arizona, Querard said.
— Ray Stern
7:35 p.m.: New translation options for Hopi speakers on reservation
Hopi-speaking voters casting ballots on the Hopi reservation had several options for voting in their tribal language on Tuesday.
They could use earphones to hear voting instructions and choices in Hopi or use a touchscreen to read the same information in Hopi.
“I am going to vote in person just so I can hear it,” Hopi Elections Registrar Karen Shupla said. “It’s exciting that we’re up to time on the machines.”
In addition, this is the first year that Hopi translators were hired to work the polls on the Hopi reservation, Shupla said.
Maxine Wadsworth was hired by Navajo County to ensure that all Hopi language speakers were accommodated at the polls. She said that a Hopi language speaker was available at each polling site on Hopi land to accommodate Hopi language speakers.
“The voters are amazed, and now they can vote on the propositions that they had trouble understanding,” she said. “For so long, the Hopi voters felt left out of the loop on language issues. It’s exciting that they can vote in a way that any Hopi voter can understand.”
— Stan Bindell, reporting supported by the Pulitzer Center
7:20 p.m.: Polls close across Arizona
Polls closed at 7 p.m. for the Arizona general election.
A last-minute hearing wrapped up just before 7 p.m. with a Maricopa County judge denying a Republican request to extend voting hours in the county by three hours because of issues at some polling places.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Tim Ryan rejected arguments that voters were denied the right to cast ballots due to glitches with equipment at 30% of voting centers.
"The court doesn't have any evidence that any voter was precluded from their right to vote," Ryan said during a hearing.
Voters who were in line by 7 p.m. can still cast their ballots.
The first results were expected to be available just after 8 p.m., with updates throughout the evening and into the coming days. Full election results may not be available for several days. Early results can flip as later votes are counted. The preferences of early voters, in-person Election Day voters and those who drop off their ballots at the polls all could differ.
Follow along on this page for live updates on key races, and see all results at this link.
— Alison Steinbach and Robert Anglen
6:55 p.m.: Hearing underway for GOP request to extend voting hours
A hearing is underway in Maricopa County Superior Court for the Republican committee and candidates seeking to extend polling hours to 10 p.m. Without legal action, the polls are scheduled to close at 7 p.m.
The Republican National Committee and others filed a lawsuit shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday calling for polls to stay open for three extra hours in Maricopa County, alleging that problems at polling stations across the county prevented some voters from casting their ballots.
In addition to the RNC, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters and gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake were listed as plaintiffs.
— Alison Steinbach
6:45 p.m.: Steady flow of voters at Brophy Prep
The flow of voters trickled slowly in and out of the polling site at Brophy Prep in Phoenix on Tuesday evening.
A volunteer at the polling site said they had not had any issues so far, and staff was expecting more voters as the workday ended.
The volunteer said the votes cast at Brophy seemed closely split between those filling their ballots out in person at the site and those dropping off their early ballots.
Rafael Lores Cabrera from Phoenix said he voted for Republican candidates because he’s unhappy with the state of the economy.
“The high prices, insecurity, the border is in chaos. The high prices with inflation, gas, food, there had to be a change,” he said.
Staci Ryder, an independent voter from Phoenix, said her top issue was abortion rights and said she cast her ballot for Democratic candidates.
“A couple years ago, we kind of flipped our state a little bit. We became a purple state, and I am hopeful that we can keep that progression going,” she said.
— Rafael Carranza
6:25 p.m.: Tucson voter says No. 1 issue is faith in election process
Tucson voters cast their ballots as part of a constant flow of people at Donna R. Liggins Recreation Center.
Poll inspector Carolyn Eisner said Pima County voting was running smoothly. She has been working at the polls for 20 years and said preparation among her team for this election was not different than previous elections. She said she and her team felt safe going into this election.
Eisner said voting is easier since the county switched to a central voting station model during the last election. In this model, anyone can vote anywhere. Voters have their IDs scanned, then poll workers verify their information and give them their ballots.
Molly Armstrong, a University of Arizona student, said she was a first-time voter and thought the process went smoothly, with no wait in line. Armstrong said she came out to vote “to have my voice heard.”
Asha Grey Eyes, an intern at the State Historic Preservation Office, said she felt the voting process was secure. She said she was concerned that so many people who don’t trust the election process got on the ballot.
“The number one issue is making sure people who don’t take our election process seriously, specifically anyone affiliated with Trump,” are not elected, she said.
It’s “not cool to fearmonger in hopes that will get them in seats of power,” she said.
— Sarah Lapidus
6 p.m.: Views diverge among Mesa, Glendale voters
Some voters on Tuesday said they weren’t particularly passionate about any candidates, but were just happy to exercise their right to vote.
“Regardless of how it comes out, we’re glad to see the line and the turnout,” said 57-year-old Shellie Snow of Queen Creek, who voted with her husband at the ASU Polytechnic Campus in Mesa.
The polling place had moderate wait times but no other issues.
Michelle Francis, a 44-year-old Gilbert resident, said she voted for Democrats Katie Hobbs for governor and Mark Kelly for U.S. Senate.
“I just think they’re more sensible,” she said.
Mesa resident Rob Rucker disagreed. He said he has faith in Republicans Kari Lake and Blake Masters.
“They have key information needed to focus on the state of Arizona,” the 54-year-old said.
David Schrimpf, a 38-year-old customer service manager, said he used to vote Republican but was voting “100%” for Democrats today. He was most focused on abortion rights, inflation, climate change and election deniers, he said.
“I’m fearing that Lake is going to win, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” he said.
In Glendale, voters at the Mission and Ministry Center saw mild wait times Tuesday afternoon.
Jon Landavaso, a health care worker from Glendale, said he is most concerned with high inflation and taxes. He said he hopes his vote matters and he “prays to God that we can have someone that will actually make a difference.”
Landavaso, who cast his vote after about 30 minutes in line, said the machine “jammed up” when he submitted his ballot and needed a worker to intercede. “That was pretty sketchy to me,” he said.
Andrew Ruelas, also of Glendale, brought his wife to the polling station so she could vote for the first time. Ruelas, who waited in the parking lot, said the past few years showed him that “state government is more important than we thought it was.”
Ruelas said many people lost their jobs during COVID-19 and that “unprecedented mistakes” were made.
— Juliette Rihl and Eryka Forquer
5:45 p.m.: Native voters cast ballots at Salt River
A steady stream of voters came to Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community's polling place at the tribe's recreation center to vote, drop off early ballots or just visit and pick up swag like T-shirts and mugs.
But not everything was happy inside. At least one tabulation machine had problems, with at least one voter having to submit their ballot three times before it was accepted.
Salt River Councilwoman Diane Enos, an attorney who volunteers frequently with Arizona Native Vote Election Protection Project, said the group had received calls about problems with the tabulation from across the Phoenix metro area. In some cases, she said, voters' ballots were "spoiled," a process where poll workers place a special mark on a ballot as invalid if it is damaged or otherwise unusable. The voter is given another fresh ballot to mark again.
"I saw one person vote but who couldn't get it into the machine," she said.
Enos also advised voters dropping off early ballots to sign and date the envelope so poll workers would know the ballot was received on Election Day.
Die’dre Goodluck, a Navajo who lives nearby, said she always votes.
“It’s important for us to do our civic duty because our grandparents weren’t able to,” she said.
Goodluck said she voted a straight Democratic ticket. "It's important to make sure we have judicial and representatives who have the best interests of tribes in mind," she said.
Salt River Vice President Ricardo Leonard dropped off his early ballot along with Dustin Burke, a tribal member.
Leonard said the current political climate could be attributed to giving extremist groups, like white supremacists, a break.
"When you have politicians who support these groups, you're opening the door," he said. The current Republican Party isn't the same as when it concentrated on fiscal responsibility and other such issues, he said.
"But when you have a great number of people who say the election was rigged, it's hard to get past that," Leonard said. "It's a scary thing, especially for Natives."
— Debra Krol
5:25 p.m.: Republicans want to extend voting hours in Maricopa County
The Republican National Committee and others filed a lawsuit Tuesday evening calling for polls to stay open for three extra hours in Maricopa County.
The suit, filed just after 5 p.m., seeks an emergency ruling from a judge and alleges that problems at polling stations across the county prevented some voters from casting their ballots.
“At least 36% of all voting centers across Maricopa County have been afflicted with pervasive and systemic malfunctions of ballot tabulation devices and printers, which has burdened voters with excessive delays and long lines,” according to the lawsuit.
The suit was filed against the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the county recorder.
Board of Supervisors Chair Bill Gates said Monday it would take a court order to extend hours.
"The only way that this county would extend the voting hours beyond those who arrive at 7 p.m. is from a court order. Period,” he said.
RNC lawyer Kory Langhofer said Tuesday the party wants to ensure voters have a chance to vote.
“We want to make sure our voters’ rights are protected,” he said.
In addition to the RNC, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters and gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake were listed as plaintiffs.
We sued Maricopa County (@KariLake @bgmasters)https://t.co/0BbfVWSs3f
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) November 8, 2022
— Robert Anglen and Alison Steinbach
5 p.m.: One voter wants to ‘take us back’; another motivated by TikTok
Clara Tedrick voted in person early Tuesday morning at the Surprise Senior Center.
"Voting is extremely important to help make any changes and to speak our voice and exercise our right," she said, adding that changes must start from the bottom.
"I'm a firm believer that you can't sit here and complain about problems if you don't do your due diligence to try to help make changes," she said.
Tedrick, who said she’s a “self-declared lesbian,” is particularly concerned about issues that affect women's rights.
At Worship & Word in Peoria, some voters said morning voting was delayed by faulty tabulators, which a poll worker said had been working intermittently.
Kathleen Hebert, a Sun City resident who is a realtor and investor, said she did extremely thorough research before dropping off her ballot, taking more time to vote than she had in the past.
"There's just too many radical people trying to change our children's minds, and Kari Lake's going to take us there — take us back to where we were," Hebert said.
Ron LaPlante, a 55-year-old construction worker, said content on TikTok motivated him to vote in person on Tuesday.
He said he’s been voting by mail his whole life, but decided to vote in person for the first time after watching a TikTok video. He said the video showed a person who went to vote, only to discover that someone else had cast their ballot.
"It could have been a little smoother," said LaPlante. He said the process took about 30 minutes. LaPlante said he’s curious why Powerball results are available within a few hours, yet there were issues with voting tabulators.
LaPlante said he put his ballot in several different machines before it registered.
LaPlante said he's most interested in following the governor's race. He voted for Kari Lake.
"She seems to want to bring the truth," said LaPlante.
— Alexandra Hardle
4:30 p.m.: Phoenix, Scottsdale voters explain their choices
Lisa Sandoval and Rosita Salway cast their ballots at Academies at South Mountain in south Phoenix early Tuesday.
“The most important vote we cast today was just to maintain our democracy,” said Sandoval, who works in medical administration.
“I do have concerns regarding Kari Lake,” Sandoval said. “I don’t have a problem with a candidate being conservative or liberal. To me, it’s never about whether they’re a Republican or Democrat.” It's about their “core values," she said.
Salway and Sandoval said they showed up for propositions on the ballot as well, especially to vote against the propositions that aim to change ballot initiative rules. Sandoval said that Proposition 129 specifically was "a bit concerning if it passes."
Sandoval has seen firsthand the problems with the rising cost of health care, she said. She said she voted yes for Proposition 209, which would limit interest rates on medical debt and increase property protections for debt collection.
Sandoval was both surprised and happy that medical debt was on the ballot, she said.
“Medical debt is so massive for people, especially when you’re dealing with long-term care or chronic illness or terminal illness,” she said. “Not only are you fighting for your life, but you end up fighting for your home or your stability because it can be absolutely crippling.”
Larry Dillie, 76, voted in person at the Islamic Center in Scottsdale on Tuesday. He said his top issues were inflation, crime and the border.
Dillie said he felt the election was very secure, but only because he waited to fill out his ballot in person. He said he doesn’t like voting by mail.
Heather Pratt also voted at the Islamic Center polling place and said it was “just very stressful,” as machines were acting up.
“And they pulled apart the machines in front of me and made it sound like everybody's ballot wasn't being taken,” Pratt said.
— Madeleine Parrish and Emily Sacia
4:10 p.m.: Trump urges Arizonans to stay in line
Former President Donald Trump posted a video message to Truth Social at 3 p.m. on Tuesday urging Arizona voters to stay in line at the polls, despite any issues with tabulators or long wait times.
Truth Social is a social media platform created by Trump Media & Technology Group.
“To the great people of Arizona — Maricopa County, in particular — don’t leave your line. Stay where you are,” Trump said.
The sentiments echo what GOP candidates in Arizona told their supporters: vote in person and don’t leave long lines.
“They say that the machines aren’t working, they say that they’re running out of paper in different locations throughout different states,” Trump said. “There’s a lot of bad things going on. Stay on line, do not leave.”
“Already, a lot of people have left and it’s very, very unfair what’s going on. Maricopa County, don’t leave. Stay there.”
— Lillian Boyd
3:50 p.m.: Passing out pizza to student voters in Tempe
At Escalante Community Center in Tempe, voters were split on both the candidates and the priority issues. Several voters said abortion rights, the economy and water conservation were top of mind as they cast their ballots.
Brothers Thomas and Steven Womack said inflation and border security were the most important issues to them. They both voted for Kari Lake for governor.
“I think she focuses on issues really well,” said Steven Womack, 60.
Software engineer Saif Azharuddin said he was motivated to vote because not enough young people do.
“I feel like most younger people are too online, and I don’t want to be part of the problem,” the 25-year-old said. He’s passionate about school funding, water conservation and lowering medical debt, and said he mostly voted for Democrats.
Elsewhere in Tempe, students at Arizona State University waited around 40 minutes to cast their vote on Tuesday afternoon.
The line at the polling site, located in a gymnasium at the fitness center, moved slowly as it stretched around the building.
Jacob Eslick, a 22-year-old senior at ASU, said he did not encounter any issues in the voting process. He said he was motivated to vote by abortion rights, casting ballots for pro-choice candidates.
“When it comes to actual rights to people, I think that everyone should have a right to choose. I feel abortion was like the main issue, so just wanted to make sure women have that right,” he said.
Dozens of volunteers canvassing for candidates and propositions walked up and down the line to talk to voters, some even handing out pizza to people waiting in line.
— Juliette Rihl and Rafael Carranza
3:40 p.m.: Election denial group calls for protests
An election denial group is calling for dual rallies on Tuesday in Maricopa and Pima counties to protest voting machines.
The group, 2020 Is Nullified, issued a call on social media for supporters to gather at 8 p.m. outside the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix and at the Pima County Recorder’s Office in Tucson.
“Stand in solidarity with fellow Americans to demand a hand count” of ballots, the group said.
The group maintains voting machines are not legal and have not been certified.
Election officials say the tabulation machines are certified by state and federal inspectors, which is required under the law.
— Robert Anglen
3:30 p.m.: Flagstaff voters say ballots have impact in battleground Arizona
Voting across Flagstaff was proceeding smoothly on Tuesday.
Brad Dorman, 44, turned out to cast a ballot because, in competitive battleground states like Arizona, voters have an opportunity to make a clear difference, he said.
“States tend to have gone in one direction or stayed in one direction to where you may feel like, ‘Does it really count if I go in and vote?’” Dorman said. “In a battleground state, that’s where really the majority of the money is being poured.”
While the midterms historically have a lower voter turnout than presidential election years, Damon pointed out that many of the issues represented on the 2022 ballot will have local effects.
“I feel like it’s the local stuff and even state that has a more direct impact” on voters’ lives, he said.
Jim Ellis has lived in Flagstaff for 56 years and cast his ballot at Flagstaff High School on Tuesday afternoon, just down the street from his home.
“So many things are at stake, primarily our democracy,” he said.
“When you got people that are well-educated, and they’re denying that Biden is the president, you know something’s wrong,” Ellis said.
— Lacey Latch
3:15 p.m.: Maricopa County identifies tabulator issue
Maricopa County has identified a solution to solve ongoing problems with tabulators at voting locations across the county, officials said.
The issues, which impacted about 60 polling places — 30% of sites — were related to timing marks on ballots.
In Maricopa County, printers at polling sites produce ballots on demand so that voters can vote at any location in the county, rather than being assigned a polling place. The formatting marks on the ballots produced by some printers weren’t printing dark enough for the tabulators to read, officials said.
Technological support staff have already resolved the issue at 17 locations, according to county officials.
"I am very sorry for any voter who has been frustrated or inconvenienced today in Maricopa County," Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said in a statement. “Every legal vote will be tabulated. I promise.”
Richer said per state statute, the county recorder is generally responsible for voter registration and early voting, and the county board of supervisors for emergency voting, Election Day and tabulation.
Voters who are running into issues with tabulators can place their ballots in a secure ballot box labeled “drawer 3” to be counted or can go to a different voting location. Most locations are unaffected by tabulator issues, according to the county. Locations are listed at locations.maricopa.vote.
— Sasha Hupka and Alison Steinbach
3 p.m.: Voters report smooth process in Tucson
Jessie Jensen and Eric Rahn stopped to vote at the Sam Lena Public Library polling center in south Tucson because it was on their way home.
Voting was “really easy,” Jensen said, adding that it was just nice to be able to vote anywhere.
“Every vote is important. The world has gone crazy lately,” Jensen said. Jensen usually votes with a mail-in ballot, but she didn’t receive one this election, she said.
Rahn said women’s rights were an important issue for him during this election.
A poll inspector at the site said other than printer jam issues, which are typical, things have been running smoothly.
Luz Acosta said the voting process was quick, with no lines or issues. She said she felt the process was secure and was turning out because of many issues.
“I’m a single mom,” she said. “It’s all important.”
— Sarah Lapidus
2:45 p.m.: Cybersecurity officials say still no threat to disrupt elections
Two senior U.S. cybersecurity officials said Tuesday afternoon that the Department of Homeland Security continues to see no specific or credible threat to disrupt election infrastructure or Election Day operations and that it remains vigilant to protect against foreign nation disinformation and malign influence operations.
The officials, both with DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency or CISA, noted that there have been a few isolated issues arising from within the 8,800 or so individual election jurisdictions in the U.S., including Maricopa County. But they described them as nothing out of the ordinary and said CISA was in close touch with elected officials in Maricopa County and elsewhere across the country in order to understand and respond to any Election Day problems if needed.
The officials, both speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing cybersecurity operations, referred questions about Maricopa County to local officials there, who have released statements and a video explaining how the voting machinery works.
One of the CISA officials specifically cautioned against some efforts to politicize what appears to be a fairly routine technical glitch, saying Maricopa County voters should have confidence in their systems because they are fully transparent and open to bipartisan observers. Also, one of the officials said, Arizona has a process that uses paper ballots for all votes, so there will be opportunities to verify — and audit — them if necessary.
— Josh Meyer, USA TODAY
2:30 p.m.: Kari Lake casts vote in person
Republican candidate for governor Kari Lake went to vote at Phoenix’s downtown post office at noon on Tuesday with her husband, son and daughter.
Afterward, she spoke to a throng of local, national and international press, alleging problems with ballot tabulators in conservative areas, prompting her to vote in “the heart of liberal Phoenix” instead of in Paradise Valley as she had planned.
Maricopa County has not released a list of locations with issues, saying that about 20% of over 220 voting locations were impacted.
“We have had problems after problems,” Lake told reporters. “And there's a reason we decided to change locations."
Lake has made election reforms a key part of her campaign platform, including false claims that Donald Trump won the state in 2020. She has refused to say if she’d accept a loss, telling ABC News in October she would do so if the election was “fair, honest and transparent.”
“This is incompetency," Lake said Tuesday standing next to GOP lawyer Harmeet Dhillon, a Republican National Committee member from California who has represented Trump. Lake’s campaign brought on Dhillon last month.
"I hope it's not malice, but we're going to fix it,” Lake said. “We're going to win. And when we win there is going to be a come to Jesus for elections in Arizona.”
As Lake cast her vote, Democratic nominee for governor Katie Hobbs wrapped up visits to several polling locations in Tempe and Phoenix. Hobbs voted early on Nov. 1.
— Stacey Barchenger
2:15 p.m. Voting machine issues also reported in New Jersey
Like Maricopa County, there were reports of issues with voting machines in Mercer County, New Jersey.
Poll workers in Mercer County discovered an issue with the voting machine scanners soon after polls opened, said Nathaniel Walker, superintendent of elections.
"Every ballot that has been cast will be counted, no voter will be disenfranchised, and the integrity of the election is intact and secure," Walker said.
Voters are to fill out paper ballots as they normally would, Walker said.
"A contingency plan is in place for all ballots cast at all locations to be scanned at the secure Board of Elections office," Walker said. "Again, ballots will be scanned just as they would at the polling location."
The county said in a Facebook post that the board of elections "is working with Dominion, the machine maker, to resolve the issue."
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin tweeted, "Attention all Mercer County voters — paper ballots are available in your precinct, and all polling locations are open. Rest assured: paper ballots are safe and secure, and your vote will be counted."
The issues were likely to delay vote counts in the 3rd and 12th Congressional District races, as well as local races.
— Liam Quinn
1:55 p.m.: Some Maricopa County polling locations reporting long lines
Some Maricopa County polling locations were reporting wait times of more than 30 minutes as of early afternoon on Tuesday. Keep in mind that wait times are fluid and can change frequently throughout the day.
As of 1:45 p.m., the Outlets at Anthem had the longest wait time among county polling locations at 64 minutes followed by Mesa Community College at Red Mountain at 56 minutes. Asante Library in Surprise reported a 56-minute wait time.
Earlier this week, Maricopa County officials said the busiest time at the polls is generally from 5 to 7 p.m.
You can check wait times on the county's website: https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/where-to-vote.html.
— Anne Ryman
1:40 p.m. Political activist criticizes Maricopa County over machine glitches
Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, the influential Phoenix-based nonprofit aimed at engaging young conservatives, sent a Tweet to his 1.8 million followers calling for arrests related to election issues in Arizona’s most populous county.
“People need to be arrested for what is happening in Maricopa County,” Kirk wrote at about 12:15 p.m. on Election Day. “It’s criminal.”
Although the Tweet wasn’t specific about why Kirk thought arrests were warranted, it came amid a stream of Tweets about lines and machine glitches throughout metro Phoenix.
Kirk urged Republicans to vote in person, saying he did not trust the early voting mechanisms. He said that he expected the number of in-person voters to be “so immense they will not be able to do what they normally do, the kind of nonsense shenanigans.”
— Richard Ruelas
1:30 p.m.: Cochise County may appeal ruling on hand count
A day after a judge shot down an attempt to hand count every Cochise County ballot in Tuesday's election, officials signaled they want to appeal.
The board of supervisors called an emergency meeting for Wednesday to consider hiring outside counsel Bryan Blehm to represent not only the three-person board, but also the county recorder and the elections director.
Supervisor Peggy Judd said she was hoping to get support for an appeal, arguing, along with supervisor Tom Crosby, that their hand count plan was legal. A Pima County judge late Monday ruled it was not.
Judd, a Republican, blamed the ruling on political bias.
“Pima County is our most liberal county in Arizona,” she said in an email to The Arizona Republic. ”It was in our judge’s DNA to side with the plaintiff.”
— Mary Jo Pitzl
1:15 p.m.: On Tohono O’odham Nation, employees distribute shirts, more
In Sells, employees of the Tohono O’odham Nation’s Sells District Administration Office distributed T-shirts, water bottles, clip boards, storage containers and first aid kits to tribal members who voted Tuesday.
The employees set up a large white tent in the office parking lot.
Sells District Chairman Juan Buendia, 36, said the giveaways are a way to encourage voter participation among tribal members. Voter turnout was steady.
The text on the gray T-shirts said, “Our Voice — Our Vote, Since 1948.”
Sells is the Tohono O’odham nation’s capital. It is one of the nation’s 11 political districts and is the most populous on the reservation, which stretches across south-central Arizona and borders Mexico.
— Noel Lyn Smith, reporting supported by the Pulitzer Center
1 p.m.: Yavapai County responds to social media messages about voting
Yavapai County Interim Recorder Michelle M. Burchill responded to what she said was a rapid spread of misinformation online.
She said Tuesday afternoon that there were no issues with printers or voting machines. On Tuesday morning, she said a printer at a Chino Valley polling location was not working correctly, but the issue was solved in 30 minutes.
That didn’t stop social media messages saying that there were broken machines, bad printers, and people waiting “hours” with lines of over 200 people.
“That wasn’t the case,” Burchill said, explaining that lines have been running smoothly — albeit slowly — all morning.
She asked that people remain calm and stay in line, and not get heated over waiting times: “They wanted to come out and vote in person today rather than take advantage of other opportunities. Just — please cut us a little slack.”
Deputy County Recorder Karen McCracken said earlier Tuesday that ballots will be dropped off at the recorder's office by 8 p.m., but not to expect any initial results until late in the evening, likely after midnight.
— Joseph Darius Jaafari
12:45 p.m.: Voter reports being juggled between sites to cast ballot
At Madison Baptist Church in central Phoenix, Carol Harder said a tabulator wouldn’t count her ballot. They tried some 20 times before issuing her another ballot, which also couldn’t be counted, she said.
She was told to go to another location since this site couldn’t issue her a third ballot. At the next polling location, she was told the system showed she had counted. She returned to Madison Baptist Church where her only option was to file a provisional ballot.
“Now I have to trust that part of the system. … I totally have no faith in this,” she said walking away.
Maricopa County has reported technical issues with ballot tabulators at some 40 voting locations. Under typical circumstances, county voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results.
— Taylor Seely
Noon: More frustration at the ballot box in Maricopa County
At Desert Christian Fellowship Church in central Phoenix, many voters were frustrated with tabulators at the site not taking their ballots.
"I watched about 12 people insert their ballots into the tabulator and it not take their scans," Missy Art said. "The workers are instructing them to insert them into the box that is so full they need to be shook to receive more ballots."
Other voters have decided to try and spoil their ballot and vote at another site. But some have had issues with the spoil process as well.
Voters who experienced issues with the tabulators at the Desert Christian Fellowship Church location decided to try again at the Beatitudes Campus, a retirement community.
"We have two ballots floating," Bill Mason said. "We went over the Beatitudes — they're still showing we voted over here. We can't vote now."
Maricopa County officials reported problems with ballot tabulators at 20% of voting centers on Tuesday morning. At polling sites, Maricopa County voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results.
— Brenda Muñoz Murguia
11 a.m.: Voters frustrated with Maricopa County voting
Sandra Tufel, a Queen Creek resident, went to cast her ballot at the Queen Creek Library at around 7 a.m. Tuesday but said the tabulator would not scan her ballot.
She said she was given a choice of waiting or putting her ballot in a drop box for later scanning.
“I’m going to have to trust the system and trust my ballot will be counted. … It was a frustrating experience,” Tufel said.
“But I feel so sorry for the poll workers. No one was aggressive but people weren’t happy and (poll workers) have to answer to everyone.”
Maricopa County officials reported problems with ballot tabulators at 20% of voting centers on Tuesday morning. At polling sites, Maricopa County voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results.
— Lillian Boyd
10:30 a.m.: Techs trying to determine why tabulators not working
Maricopa County officials said technicians were trying to determine why ballot tabulators at about 20% of voting locations — about 40 of 223 voting centers — are experiencing problems.
"We have techs out there. We’re doing what we can to get them back online," said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates during an impromptu news conference Tuesday morning.
Gates said the issues were not centered in one particular geographical area but were "dispersed" throughout the state's most populous county.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said the county has not experienced this particular issue with tabulators in previous elections.
County officials are advising voters to place their ballots in a secure drop box called "Door No. 3" at the polling site if the tabulator is not working. Those ballots will remain secure and will be taken when voting ends after 7 p.m. and delivered by a bipartisan team to the county's election tabulation center.
Richer said this is similar to the process used by other Arizona counties.
"Everyone is still getting to vote," Gates said. "Nobody is being disenfranchised, and we’ve got redundancies in place."
At polling sites, Maricopa County voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results.
— Anne Ryman
9:30 a.m. Voters report problems with tabulators
Maricopa County officials say 20% of voting locations are experiencing issues with the tabulators.
At the Mountain Park Health Center Baseline Clinic in south Phoenix, some voters leaving the polling place around 7 a.m. said the tabulators were not scanning some ballots.
One voter said he showed up at 6 a.m. and stayed for over an hour until his ballot finally scanned.
Some voters leaving the polling place said they dropped off their ballot in a box at the site. That's what Jimmy R. Smith did when his ballot didn't scan.
“I was informed that some of the votes aren’t being taken, and that you can go ahead and vote, and if it doesn’t, you can put it in a box and they’re going to come back and tabulate it later,” he said. “But you also have people sitting around, waiting, because they want to make sure that their vote is tabulated.”
Others chose not to leave their ballot in the ballot box.
Josh Erb said he plans to come back to the same site later this afternoon once he gets off work.
He also chose not to attempt to use the tabulators once he heard they were having problems. “They said that we can slide it in the machine, but I don’t want to risk it. If it’s not working, I’m not going to place my vote,” Erb said.
— Madeleine Parrish
9 a.m.: Maricopa County now says 20% voting locations having issues
Maricopa County Elections officials say 20% of the county's voting locations are experiencing issues as of Tuesday morning. This is greater than the earlier 10% estimate the county gave.
"We’re doing what we can to get these back online. It’s not like both of the tabulators are having these issues. It may only be one (at a location)," Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates said on Tuesday morning during an impromptu news conference.
Maricopa County has 223 voting centers.
County officials advised voters that if a tabulator is not working at a site, they can still vote. They have the option of casting their ballot and placing it into a secure ballot box. Those boxes will then be taken to the county's election center for tabulation.
At polling sites, Maricopa County voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results. Once voting ends, a bipartisan team of poll workers transports the ballots to the county's election headquarters and ballot receiving sites so that they can be securely stored.
— Anne Ryman
8:30 a.m.: Maricopa County experiencing issues at 10% of locations
As Maricopa County experienced issues at roughly 10% of voting locations Tuesday morning, officials sought to assure voters that they can still cast ballots.
Voters at impacted sites have two options: to cast their ballot via a secure box to be counted later or to go vote at a different location. Elections Department spokesperson Megan Gilbertson said poll workers are best equipped to help voters ensure their ballot is successfully cast.
“It’s important for voters to talk to the poll workers on site,” Gilbertson said.
Officials confirmed the issues were with the on-site tabulators.
As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, nearly 30,000 Maricopa County voters had cast a ballot, Gilbertson said.
— Sasha Hupka
8 a.m.: Pinal County reports no problems at polling sites
Months after a disastrous primary election, Pinal County polling sites opened without a hitch on Election Day.
County spokesperson James Daniels said officials received just nine calls within the first few hours of voting, compared with hundreds each hour in August, when the county ran out of ballots at one-quarter of its voting locations.
All of Tuesday’s calls were related to general requests for voter information, such as polling locations, Daniels said.
“They are just voter-type questions, which is what the contact center should be for,” he said.
— Sasha Hupka
Election guide: November 2022
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7:20 a.m.: Rural voting site reports steady stream of voters
At the voting site north of Prescott in Williamson Valley, a fire and medical building was already bustling by 6 a.m. as a line formed outside.
Outside the 75-foot perimeter, where campaigners and activists can stand, a large red tent was propped up with signs supporting Senate candidate Blake Masters, while others stood outside holding signs to raise money for a proposition to raise firemen’s budgets.
By 6:30, poll workers were tending to about 20 people — which, for this area, is a lot, said Dawn Casey, the inspector at the poll site. “I’ve been here when 10 people show up,” adding that this year’s election feels different.
“This is a very rural area, lots of cowboys and farmers,” she said. “But we’re seeing a good turnout so far.”
— Joseph Darius Jaafari
7 a.m.: Burton Barr Library tabulator machine back online
Maricopa County officials said Burton Barr Library is only doing drop-off ballots as of 6 a.m. after there were issues with a ballot tabulator machine. The issue was fixed as of 7:30 a.m. County officials said the password was entered too many times, triggering built-in security measures that locked the machine. County officials said the issue was being addressed.
In the meantime, voters have three options: Drop off ballots, wait for the tabulator to come online or go to another location nearby. Find locations at http://Locations.Maricopa.vote.
— Anne Ryman
6 a.m.: Where to cast a ballot on Tuesday
Maricopa County will have 223 voting centers open Tuesday, and registered voters can cast a ballot at any of those locations. Find a list of voting locations at https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/where-to-vote.html. Wait times will be displayed on the website.
Elections officials in the state's most populous county said lines at the polls are anticipated, with the most voter activity expected between 5 and 7 p.m.
Maricopa County officials estimate that about 250,000 to 350,000 people will vote in person in the county on Election Day,
— Anne Ryman
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Election Day recap: Voting updates across the state
