Phoenix – Arizona election officials have warned that delays at polling places and jamming of vote-counting machines could occur as voters fill out multi-page ballots, an unusual occurrence in a presidential battleground state.

Most Arizona voters will receive two-page ballots printed on both sides, but for the first time in nearly two decades, the state's most populous counties will receive ballots longer than one page.

According to a spokesperson for the Arizona Secretary of State's office, eight of the state's 15 counties use two-page ballots. The exact length varies within counties because the ballots also include local elections. Maricopa County's ballot alone has an average of 79 elections, including local, state and federal elections and statewide ballot propositions.

While many other states routinely handle multi-page ballots without issue, changing the voting method in Arizona would be a breeding ground for lawsuits and the spread of election conspiracy theories.

The state has been a hotbed of election misinformation since previous elections. President Donald Trump was narrowly defeated. Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. There are many public officials in local elections offices and county election boards who deny the results of the election.

Steven Richer, the Republican elections director for Maricopa County, has relentlessly defended the legitimacy of Arizona's elections. Lost the bid He is seeking re-election in the Republican primary this summer.

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Election officials have begun educating voters ahead of the start of early voting after Maricopa County switched to multi-page ballots for the first time since 2006.

Maricopa County Election Chairman Scott Jarrett said the number of vote centers will increase to a record 246, up from 175 in the last presidential election, and the number of polling booths will increase from 5,000 to 8,000.

He is urging the estimated 2.1 million voters expected to cast ballots across Maricopa County to research the races and ballot measures before the Nov. 5 election and decide whether to vote by mail or in person.

Jack Balson, a 64-year-old Republican retiree from Phoenix, said the longer ballot paperwork could deter some voters from voting, but he still plans to vote for president.

“If you make things difficult and block the tracks, people will turn back and go home,” he said.

First-time independent voter Ahmad Tamini will not be fazed by the lengthy ballot paper.

“I don't mind being asked questions,” said Tamini, 23, a nursing student at Phoenix College.

Officials in Coconino County in northern Arizona are also urging voters to plan ahead, and in the city of Page, some voters will receive two-page, four-panel ballots that could create long lines on Election Day.

Maricopa County officials expect more than 1 million people to vote early by mail, between 625,000 and 730,000 voters to submit their ballots on Nov. 5, with the rest expected to vote in person.

“What voters need to know is that it will take some time to complete your ballot because there are so many questions,” Jarrett said.

He estimated that most voters would take between nine and 13 minutes to complete their ballot, but said some might take as long as two hours.

Jarrett warned that Maricopa County's ballot-counting machines could jam because voters are required to insert two pieces of paper instead of one when casting their ballot. Poll workers are receiving additional training on how to deal with machine problems and ease voter concerns.