Phoenix (AZ Family)— The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office received a record number of voter registration forms this year on the last day before the deadline. However, thousands of documents arrived damaged or incomplete.
The office received 90,000 forms, mostly from third-party agencies, but up to 40,000 could not be processed because they were torn, wet, damaged or for other reasons. Officials say there is even a possibility of fraud.
Officials said many of the ballots were sent to the office by organizations with a “troubled” past.
“Over the past number of years, we have repeatedly asked lawmakers to address the integrity of paper voter registration forms submitted by third-party organizations. Unfortunately, nothing has been done. No,” Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer Richer said in a tweet.
This situation can confuse voters who believe they are registered and delay the arrival of everyone at the polling place.
“This puts a lot of pressure on staff and can have a negative impact on voters,” Richer said.
In addition to navigating a long, two-page ballot, voters affected by inaccurate or corrupted registration forms must provide address and/or identification at the polling place. This requirement could further slow check-in and cause conflicts at polling places.
“Just a few extra seconds added to processing time for tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of voters, could result in longer lines,” Tammy Patrick said. National Association of Election Administrators Said.
“If you haven’t received any name information or a voter ID card from your county recorder’s office and you think you’re registered, it’s very likely that voting will take longer than expected.” Patrick says.
To prepare, Patrick advises voters to bring a copy of their registration form or confirmation of registration in case they are asked questions at the polling place.
The Maricopa County Voter Registration and Elections website has a comprehensive list, including: Polling locations and current wait times.
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