Phoenix (AZ Family) — Early voting is well underway in Maricopa County. If you requested early voting, you may be preparing to mail it in.

Those ballots will ultimately be stored at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Elections Center (MCTEC) in downtown Phoenix. Additional fencing and barriers are currently being installed around the building to ensure the safety of voters and election workers.

Arizona Families recently spoke with Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner about the department’s role in the general election. He said preparations have been underway for about a year and MCSO is treating this like any other large event in the county.

MCSO is working with the County Recorder’s Office, other local agencies, and federal partners on security plans. Maricopa County is the epicenter of election conspiracy theories, and threats of violence against election workers have increased in recent years, making sure poll workers feel safe and have the distance they need to safely count ballots. , it is necessary to install a fence around MCTEC.

“We need fencing to ensure a safe distance so no one can get into that area,” Sheriff Skinner said. “Essentially, we’re setting a line of zero tolerance. We have to go through the process. This is democracy for our county, state and nation.”

MCTEC does There’s a live video feed so you can see what’s happening inside the building.

The sheriff said the general election is an all-hands-on-deck situation, and blackout dates have been set in place to prevent lawmakers from taking time off. Security has been stepped up since the last presidential election in 2020. An Arizona family also asked sheriffs if voters would notice an increased presence of deputies at polling places.

“Many of our employees are in plain clothes, so it’s probably a yes or no question,” said Sheriff Skinner. “Obviously we don’t want to be seen as somehow influencing law enforcement. So while you may not necessarily be able to see the uniformed staff up close, you know they’re there.” I know that.

“We want this to be a peaceful process. We want voters to feel comfortable participating in this process knowing that what they’re doing is safe and secure.” I think so,” he added.

If you would like to request early voting, you have until October 25th to vote in Maricopa County. Here is a list of other important voting deadlines:

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