Maricopa Ballot Operations: 915,000 Returns Logged as Election Day Looms

Maricopa County recorded approximately 915,000 ballot returns as of Wednesday evening, with 722,000 already tabulated and 193,000 undergoing verification. The county’s mail-in deadline has passed, but voters retain two specific methods to submit their ballots before the election concludes. Jennifer Liewer, the county’s deputy elections director, explained that the total return volume reflects both completed tabulation and the current verification queue.

Voters who hold green return envelopes can deliver them to secure drop boxes or bring them directly to vote centers. The new in-person option allows voters to open the sealed envelope at the location, show identification, and have the ballot tabulated immediately. Liewer noted that this process bypasses the mail verification wait. If a voter chooses a drop box, the envelope must return to the central facility for signature verification before counting.

The Maricopa County Tabulation Center is staffed by up to 800 temporary workers processing the early ballots. Machines at the facility scan up to 100,000 ballots per day. Liewer stated that privacy protocols ensure officials only know whether a ballot was cast, not how the voter chose. "We don’t know actually how people vote. We only know that they voted," she said. The envelope removal marks the transition to the tabulation phase.

County data indicates that roughly 80% of registered voters requested mail ballots, and historical patterns show about 85% cast their votes early. Only approximately 15% typically vote in person on election day. The central tabulation center will pause processing on election day to direct resources toward the 254 polling locations. More than 4,000 poll workers will staff these sites to handle the expected surge in walk-in voters.

Arizona operates on a receipt basis rather than a postmark rule. All ballots must be physically received by 7 p.m. on election day. Liewer clarified that voters in line at 7 p.m. are permitted to vote, while those arriving after the hour must wait for the next day. Poll workers mark the line at the exact deadline to manage the flow. Approximately 350,000 voters are projected to cast ballots on election day, prompting officials to advise residents to plan their drop-off or visit in advance. Real-time wait times and location details are available on the county’s elections website.