The stage is already being set for drawn-out voting results even before Election Day wraps up.
Arizona election officials have already announced that the 2024 results could take nearly two weeks to tabulate after the last polling place closes on November 5. The two-page ballot and the anticipated tight races have Maricopa County officials saying the final results could take days – even weeks – to figure out.
“We do expect that it will take between 10 and 13 days to complete tabulation of all of the ballots that come in, but we ask for the community’s patience,” Deputy Elections Director Jennifer Liewer said. “We want to make sure that this is a secure process, but we also want to make sure that it is an accurate process.”
(Video Credit: 12 News)
Scott Jarrett, Maricopa County elections director, expects large numbers of voters to turn out or mail in their ballots.
“We are seeing a little bit of a lag of where we were in 2020 but the last few days we’ve actually seen an uptick in turnout,” he said. “So I am expecting that we will start approaching very close to those 2020 numbers.”
Assistant Maricopa County Manager Zach Schira encouraged early voting or being patient with expected lines.
“If I have one message for voters here today, it is this: that the longer ballots and higher interest in this 2024 general election will create longer lines on election day, and that’s okay,” he said. “But if you want to save time and you want to avoid those lines vote early, either in person or by mail, that’ll save you time, and it’ll help us report more results on election night.”
The county’s social media page explained: “While Maricopa County counts the vast majority of legal ballots by the end of Election Night, it’s often days before media can call certain races.”
The thread went on to note that Arizona “has laws that provide eligible voters more flexibility” and that there is a “5-day grace period for voters who did not provide sufficient ID when voting in-person, or whose early ballot signatures are questioned.”
Arizona didn’t used to be as competitive, politically, as it is now. In close contests, sometimes that final 1 or 2% of ballots to be counted will determine who wins.
— Maricopa County (@maricopacounty) October 23, 2024
This is false, and it should be deleted, @stephen_richer.
Not only can Florida voters return their ballots until polls close on Election Day (no later than 7pm local time), but we will have election results on election night before everyone goes to bed. https://t.co/3wtUWV4JXS
— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) October 24, 2024
Maricopa County’s explanation and the election officials’ warning ahead of the length of time it can take to get results prompted a wave of negative reactions on social media including from X owner Elon Musk who simply asked, “What?”
How many counties like this are planning to delay the votes? They are setting the stage for election fraud.
— Don Wick (@yayavarkm) October 23, 2024
Texas has a population of over 30 million and they are able to tabulate their results and report them on election night. I don’t know because I’m not an expert in the calculation of votes but it seems odd that Maricopa county needs 13 days.
— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) October 23, 2024
We are watching them prepare to cheat
— Cash Loren (@CashLorenShow) October 23, 2024
How would they already know that it’s going to take this many days? Is it because they need to wait until everything is in to know how many votes they have to cheat by so they can win. This is what happened last time.
— Bunny Hink (@Bunny_B_Hink) October 23, 2024
We are the richest, most powerful, most technologically advanced country in human history. It should not take more than one day to count ballots.
— Adam Lowisz (@AdamLowisz) October 23, 2024
Arizona just announced that it could take 10-13 days to tabulate all votes…
Taiwan just held their election.
They require photo ID and use paper ballots. They hand-count the votes of each station one by one, in public view. There are no mail ballots.
It’s all done in 6 hours. pic.twitter.com/GmLuPcSHAr
— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) October 23, 2024
So, you are explaining how you will allow the Democrats to just keep voting until you get the result you want…
Fair summation…?
— Roy Nathanson (@roy_nathanson) October 24, 2024
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