Officials in Maricopa County have informed voters that counting every ballot from Tuesday’s election could extend nearly two weeks, consistent with past elections.
Maricopa County, which comprises over 60% of Arizona’s population, plays a crucial role in determining statewide election outcomes. Historical data from The Copper Courier reveals that it typically takes about 14 days to finalize election results. The quickest count was completed in six days in 2002, while counts from 2008 to 2012 consistently took 20 days.
This year’s election involves additional complexities, such as two-page ballots and a new requirement for counties to hand count a portion of ballots. Despite these challenges, Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates expressed confidence in the preparations made by election staff. “This is an extremely important election. There’s a lot of interest in it,” Gates noted. “[Elections Director] Scott Jarrett has put together a plan that assumes a very significant number of people voting both early and on Election day.”
Unofficial versus official election results
Historically, Arizona’s election results seemed to arrive quickly, as most races were called based on early returns. This perception changed in 2016 when the state was not immediately declared for any candidate. The state’s results took two days to finalize, though this delay was largely unnoticed nationally as the presidential race had already been decided.
In 2018, the wait extended to six days, with close races like those between state superintendent candidates Kathy Hoffman and Frank Riggs, as well as U.S. Senate candidates Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally, heightening public anticipation. Official results, however, adhered to the usual 14-day timeline.
What to expect
The 2024 election is anticipated to mirror the 2018 timeline rather than the expedited 2020 process. A new law mandating a hand count of all ballot envelopes before processing is expected to introduce significant delays. This procedure is projected to slow down initial result announcements by several hours.
Jennifer Liewer, communications director for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, stated to Votebeat that the hand count prevents any reliable estimate for when initial results will be available. “As soon as I give a time, I will be held accountable for it until the end of time,” Liewer remarked.
To mitigate any potential delays in official results, election departments have increased staff and are committed to submitting results to the Arizona Secretary of State by November 25 for statewide certification.
