FINAL - 2022 PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTIONS PLAN.PDF

Maricopa County — Informal (2022-05-02)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary / Info Graphic ............................................................................................................... 3
1.0. Election Day and Emergency Voting Plan .............................................................................................. 4
2.0 Voter Turnout and Wait-time Reduction Plan ....................................................................................... 11
3.0 Communications Plan ............................................................................................................................ 21
4.0 Staffing Plan ........................................................................................................................................... 27
5.0 Training Plan .......................................................................................................................................... 34
6.0 Early Voting Plan ................................................................................................................................... 40
7.0 Facilities and Logistics Plan ................................................................................................................... 49
8.0 Central Count and Tabulation Plans ...................................................................................................... 56
9.0 Risk Management and Contigency Plans .............................................................................................. 63
10.0 Election Plan Costs .............................................................................................................................. 66
Appendix A (Training Topics by Roles / Facility Type)……………………………………………………………………………….68

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1.0 – 2022 Elections Plan (Early, Emergency, and Election Day)
The Maricopa County Elections Department’s (Department) 2022 Elections Plan outlines the strategies,
constraints and methods staff will use to prepare for the 2022 August Primary (8/2/2022) and November
General (11/8/2022) Elections. The plan is intended to guide the Elections Department as it provides voters
with a safe, reliable, secure, transparent, and accessible election. The plan also informs Maricopa County
voters and other stakeholders on key information and activities, so they are prepared to successfully
participate in the election.
1.1 – Maricopa County Elections Department
In August 2021, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (Board) partnered with the Maricopa County
Recorder by establishing an Elections Operations Agreement. The purpose of this agreement was to outline
the responsibilities for administering elections in Maricopa County and to provide shared oversight over
the Elections Department. The Board-appointed Director of In-Person Voting and Tabulation and Recorder-
appointed Director of Mail-In Voting and Elections Services manage the Elections Department’s shared
resources. The co-directors are also responsible for ensuring the Elections Department meets voter needs
and that hand-offs between divisions are seamless, efficient, and secure. The following chart outlines
assigned responsibilities for the Elections Department.
MARICOPA COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Director In-Person Voting and
Tabulation
(Scott Jarrett)
Shared
Director of Mail-in Voting and
Elections Services
(Rey Valenzuela)

• Recruitment & Training of
Poll Workers, Central Boards,
and Temporary Staff
• Warehouse & Logistics
• In Person Early Voting
• Election Day Operations
• Emergency Voting Operations
• Ballot Preparation &
Tabulation

• Transition from Early
Voting to Election Day
• Elections Department
Communications
• Elections Department
Facilities

• Uniform and Overseas
Citizens Absentee Voting
• Special Election Boards
• Signature Verification
• Early Ballot Processing
• Provisional Ballot
Processing
• Candidate Filing
• Campaign Finance
Reporting
1.2 – Planning for the Election
The Elections Department began planning for the 2022 August Primary and November General elections
over twelve months in advance of the elections. As we progress through the election cycle, we will refine
our plans to ensure they meet the needs of the specific election and voters.
Election planning began by reserving facilities, forecasting turnout, training poll worker leadership,
designing a marketing and outreach plans, equipment maintenance, supporting candidate filing, updating
early voting instructions, and drawing precinct maps. The next planning and implementation phase begins

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in May, approximately 90 days before the election, and includes mailing notices to Active Early Voting List
(AEVL) voters, beginning to accept early ballot requests, recruiting temporary workers (poll workers, central
boards, and other temporary staff), building supply kits, programming voting equipment, designing the
ballot, preparing to mail ballots to oversees and military voters, building delivery routes, creating election
specific training curriculum, implementing media and voter outreach plans, and creating risk analysis
deliverables.
1.3 – August Primary and Jurisdictional Elections
In the August Primary, voters choose their preference for their party’s candidate to be on the ballot in the
November General Election. Federal, state, and county offices, as well as 221 local jurisdictions with
candidates and/or issues will appear on Maricopa County’s August Primary Election ballots (A.R.S. § 16-
204)2.
Maricopa County has three recognized political parties— Republican, Democrat, and Libertarian. Voters
registered with these political parties will be issued a ballot with the partisan races and local jurisdictions
they are eligible to vote. Independent voters and those registered without a political party preference must
actively request the partisan ballot of their choice (Republican or Democrat only) or a non-partisan ballot
(if available for the city or town in which they live) in order to participate in this election. Independent
voters may make that request by mail, online at BeBallotReady.Vote, by phone (602-506-1511) or when
voting in-person.
Maricopa County will have over 15,000 unique ballot styles for the August Primary Election. The chart below
shows the key dates for the August Primary Election. These dates will drive Elections Department planning
activities.
AUGUST 2022 PRIMARY ELECTION KEY DATES
Date
Description
April 4, 2022
Candidate filing deadline (CandidateList.Maricopa.Vote)
May 2, 2022
Mail 90-day cards and begin accepting early ballot requests and independent
voter ballot requests (Request.Maricopa.Vote)
June 13, 2022
Launch “Where Do I Vote” webpage (Locations.Maricopa.Vote)
June 18, 2022
Send ballots to military and oversees voters (MilitaryOverseas.Maricopa.Vote)
July 5, 2022
Voter registration deadline (Register.Maricopa.Vote)
July 6 – 29, 2022
Early Voting – in person and by mail
July 26, 2022
Recommended date to return ballot by mail
July 30 – Aug 1, 2022
Emergency Voting
August 2, 2022
Election Day

1 Cities and Towns of Apache Junction, Avondale, Buckeye, Carefree, Cave Creek, Chandler, El Mirage, Fountain Hills,
Gila Bend, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Guadalupe, Litchfield Park, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Queen Creek, Scottsdale,
Surprise, Tolleson, Wickenburg, Youngtown
2 State law determines that for the purposes of increasing voter participation and for decreasing the costs to
taxpayers, the August Primary election should be consolidated to provide voters just one ballot for this election.

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1.4 – November General Election
In the November General Election, voters choose their preference for federal, state, county, and local
offices and ballot measures. Depending on the August Primary results, there could be up to 253 cities and
towns with another 75 local jurisdictions with candidates or ballot measures on the November General
Election Ballot (A.R.S. § 16-204)4. The chart below shows the key dates for the November General Election.
NOVEMBER 2022 GENERAL ELECTION KEY DATES
Date
Description
September 24, 2022
Send ballots to military and oversees voters (MilitaryOverseas.Maricopa.Vote)
September 9, 2022
Update “Where Do I Vote” webpage (Locations.Maricopa.Vote)
October 11, 2022
Voter registration deadline (Register.Maricopa.Vote)
Oct. 12– Nov. 4, 2022
Early Voting – in person and by mail
November 1, 2022
Recommended date to return ballot by mail
November 4 – 7, 2022
Emergency Voting
November 8, 2022
Election Day

1.5 – Accessible, Reliable, Secure, Transparent, Efficient Voting Options
The Maricopa County Elections Department’s mission and vision drive operations and areas of focus. They
help us improve our operations and motivate staff by guiding Department strategies and goals.
MISSION
The mission of the Maricopa County Elections Department is to build public trust and confidence by
providing accessible, reliable, secure, transparent, and efficient elections services.
VISION
Our vision is to promote a culture of service, continuous improvement, accountability, collaboration,
and integrity in every action, strategy, objective, and election process.

1.5.1 Increased Access
The Elections Department will ensure voters are aware of all voting options for the upcoming elections.
Whether the voter decides to vote by mail or in-person, our goal is to provide safe, secure, reliable and
accessible choices.

3 Potential Runoff: Cities and Towns of Apache Junction, Avondale, Buckeye, Carefree, Cave Creek, Chandler, El
Mirage, Fountain Hills, Gila Bend, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Guadalupe, Litchfield Park, Mesa, Paradise Valley,
Peoria, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, Surprise, Tolleson, Wickenburg, Youngtown / Other Election: City Phoenix, City of
Peoria,
4 State law determines that for the purposes of increasing voter participation and for decreasing the costs to
taxpayers, the November General election should be consolidated to provide voters just one ballot for this election.

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Voting by Mail
Arizona law has allowed “no excuse” absentee voting for over two decades known as Early Voting. A voter
can request a one-time ballot in the mail or sign up for the Active Early Voting List (AEVL). Voters may make
these request by visiting BeBallotReady.Vote or contacting the Elections Department. Voters on AEVL will
be mailed a ballot 27-days before the August Primary and November General Election, with the exception
of independent voters in the Primary. These voters must first notify the Election Department of their ballot
choice. Early voters should sign and date the envelope as well as provide a phone number the Elections
Department can use to reach voters if there is a signature issue. Voters may return Early Ballots by mail or
at any secure ballot drop box or Vote Center in Maricopa County (Hours of availability will be posted at
Locations.Maricopa.Vote approximately 45 days before each election).

In addition to traditional ballot-by-mail options, Maricopa County also provides voters with additional early
ballot options. Voters may make requests for the following options by email SEB@risc.maricopa.gov or
phone (602) 506-1511:
•
Braille ballots
•
Large print ballots
•
Spanish ballots
•
Special Election Boards – Voters who are unable to vote by mail or in person due to a confining
illness or disability may request a Special Election Board. These Boards are made up of two
members of differing political parties who travel to the voter with the voter’s ballot to facilitate the
voting process. Often these voters are in hospitals or nursing homes. (See Section 6.0 Early Voting
– Page 40 for more details).

In-Person Voting
Prior to the 2020 Election Cycle, Maricopa County used a precinct model assigning voters to a single
precinct on Election Day. With great success, the Elections Department implemented an in-person “vote
anywhere” Vote Center model in 2020. Given the benefits, the Elections Department will offer secure and
convenient in-person Vote Centers during early voting, emergency voting, and on Election Day again in
2022.
•
Early Voting (Open Monday-Saturdays, including evening hours)
•
Emergency Voting (Open the Saturday and Monday before Election Day, including evening hours5)
•
Election Day (Open 6am – 7pm)
The Elections Department will use a phased approach to open 210-225 Vote Centers by Election Day. The
phased opening approach increases reliability of in-person voting operations, and significantly expands a
voter’s access to participate in the August Primary and November General elections. Vote Centers will be
available during business hours, in the evenings (5-7 p.m.), and on Saturdays. Saturday voting will occur at
Phase 1 and 2 locations on July 23 and 30 for the Primary Election and October 29 and November 5 for the
General Election. A final list of Vote Centers and hours of operations will be published at
Locations.Maricopa.Vote approximately 45 days before the election. The phased opening schedule and the
approximate amount of geographically dispersed Vote Centers are listed in the table on the next page.

5 See section 1.6 for more details about Emergency Voting.

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Vote Center Opening Phases
August Primary
November General
Phase 1: Open 10 Vote Centers (28 Day Sites) on:
July 6
October 12
Phase 2: Open 40 – 45 additional Vote Centers (12-day sites) on:
July 22
October 28
Phase 3: Open 60 - 70 additional Vote Centers (2-day sites) on:
August 1
November 7
Phase 4: Open 90 - 100 additional Vote Centers (1 -day sites) on:
August 2
November 8
Total Election Day Vote Centers
210 - 215
210 - 225

We evaluate our voting locations to ensure they meet ADA requirements and can serve voters with a
disability. We also offer curbside at all locations if these voters choose to vote from their vehicle. All
locations are equipped with an accessible voting device that can serve voters with vision, hearing and
movement disabilities (See Section 7.1.2 – page 49 for more details).

1.5.2 – Improved Reliability of Voting Options and Operations
The Elections Department’s has implemented redundancies, documented procedures, and contingency
plans so the Elections Department can prevent both routine and unforeseen events from disrupting voting
options. The contingency plans also offer solutions so the Elections Department can restore operations in
the event that a vote center or the central counting and processing center becomes temporarily or
permanently inoperable due to equipment failures, a power outage, or other unforeseen disruption. The
contingency plans are described in further detail in the following two sections of this plan.
•
2.4 Wait-Time Reduction (page 15)
•
9.0 Risk Management and Contingency plan (page 63)
1.5.3 – Transparency
To provide transparency of the County’s elections operations, the County Board of Supervisors, the
Recorder’s Office, and Elections Department have made significant investments in capital, staff, reviews,
and other initiatives to provide the public and voters insight and visibility into the inner workings of the
Elections Department. Some of these investments are highlighted below.

•
Installed security cameras to provide 24/7 live video feeds throughout the elections department
year around.
•
Added glass walls around the tabulation server and installed racking to clearly show the tabulation
equipment wires are not connected to an outside network.
•
Hosting public board meetings and publishing of Election Plans
•
Hosting Elections Department Tours
•
Publishing educational videos
•
Inviting political party representatives to observe and participate in voting processes
•
Implementing Voter Outreach initiatives
•
Inviting Federally Certified Voting System Testing laboratories to evaluate our tabulation
equipment.

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1.5.4 – Security
There are many components to maintaining the security and integrity of the election process. We partner
with the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the County’s Information Security Department, and
others to perform security assessments and prepare plans to ensure we have the security measures in
place to respond to cyber, physical, and operational threats. To ensure the viability and integrity of the
plans, many of the details are not publicly disclosed.

As it relates to mail-in voting, in-person voting, and central count operations, we include some of those
security functions in sections 6.0 Early Voting plan – page 40, 7.0 Facilities and Logistics plan – page 49, and
8.0 Central Count and Tabulation plan – page 56 of this document.

1.5.5 – Efficient Voting Operations
Maricopa County, as a voting jurisdiction, has nearly 2.6 million registered active voters (2nd most in the
nation). The County also spans 9,224 square miles and is geographically larger than seven states
(Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island). The County
also offers four separate voting models that allow voters to return their early ballot through the mail, drop-
off their early ballot at any voting location, or vote in-person at anyone of our early or election day vote
centers.

In-order to serve millions of voters over a very large geographic footprint, while offering four separate
voting models, the County establishes a set of efficient voting operations, plans and procedures. These are
documented throughout the plan, with some highlights listed below.

•
To ensure the county has the temporary work force and talent needed to support voting
operations, we create detailed plans to recruit, hire and train a large workforce of over 3,100
temporary workers (see section 4.0 Staffing – page 27 and 5.0 Training sections – page 34).
•
To ensure in-person voting wait-times are minimal, the county established procedures to project
turnout and setup a sufficient amount of voting locations within narrow windows of time (see
section 2.0 Voter Turnout and Wait-Time Reduction plan – page 11 and 7.0 Facilities and Logistics
plan – page 49).
•
Established procedures to ensure the County can securely deliver, transport, process, count, and
report results on millions of ballots and tens-of-millions of contests within statutory strict statutory
timeframes (see sections 6.0 Early Voting Plan – page 40, 7.0 Facilities and Logistics plan – page 49,
and 8.0 Central Count and Tabulation plan – page 56).
•
The county established a robust communications plan that includes paid media, earned media, and
voter outreach efforts to inform voters of how they can successfully participate in the election (see
sections 3.0 Communications Plan – page 21)

These efforts are all performed to serve voters for the August Primary Election and then quickly initiated
again to serve voters for the November General Election. With a total cost of $23.4 million for both
elections, this is completed at a low cost of less than $5.22 per resident6.

6 July 1, 2021: United States Census Bureau estimates Maricopa County had a population of 4,496,588 residents:
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Maricopa County, Arizona. The Elections Department estimates that the count will
expend $10.6 million to support the August Primary and $12.7 million to support the November General Election.
This is a total of $23.4 million in expenditures to support both elections.

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1.6 – Emergency Voting
State law gives the Board the authority to authorize the use of emergency voting centers for each election
and requires the Board to specify in a resolution the location of the emergency voting centers and the hours
of operation (see A.R.S. § 16-411(B)(5)). “Emergency” means any unforeseen circumstance that would
prevent the voter from voting at the polls on Election Day. Eligible voters who experience an emergency
between 5 p.m. on the Friday preceding the election and 5 p.m. on the Monday preceding the election may
vote at an emergency voting center in the manner prescribed by the Board (see A.R.S. § 16-542(H)).

Before receiving a ballot at an emergency voting center, a voter must provide identification. The voter must
also sign a statement under penalty of perjury containing substantially the following language: “I declare
under penalty of perjury that I am experiencing or have experienced an emergency after 5 p.m. on the
Friday immediately preceding the election and before 5 p.m. on the Monday immediately preceding the
election that will prevent me from voting at a polling place on Election Day.” These statements are not
subject to public inspection pursuant to Title 39, Chapter 1, Article 2 (see A.R.S. § 16-542(H); A.R.S. § 16-
246(F)(2)).
Maricopa County’s Emergency Voting plan is to staff 50-55 geographically dispersed sites throughout the
County for eligible voters to cast a vote if they experience an emergency on the Friday (after 5 p.m.) and
Saturday prior to Election Day. The number of voting locations will increase to 110-125 locations on the
Monday prior to Election Day. To minimize voter confusion, emergency voting locations will be the same
sites used during early voting. The Elections Department will present the emergency voting locations and
hours to the Board for approval along with the lists of voting locations and Poll Workers in June 2022 for
the August Primary and September 2022 for the November General Election.

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2.0 – Forecasting Turnout and Reducing Wait Times
To effectively plan for the 2022 August Primary and November General elections, the Elections Department
developed a series of models to forecast how many potential voters are likely to turn out by voting early or
on Election Day. We used this forecast to determine the amount of voting locations and temporary workers
(e.g., Poll Workers and Central Boards) that are needed to have a successful election and serve the voters
of Maricopa County. We also use these forecasts to develop strategies to minimize voting location wait-
times and to ensure the processing and tabulation of early ballots is efficient and secure.

Historic population growth, recent elections, and increased interest in the elections process point to the
potential for historic voter turnout in the 2022 gubernatorial election cycle. In 2020, the most recent
Primary and General election, voter turnout was at or near all-time highs. The 2020 August Primary had
860,704 (35.4% - Turnout Percentage) voters participate and the 2020 November General had 2,089,563
(80.5% - Turnout Percentage) voters participate. Both elections also saw a significant increase in early
voting. For the 2020 August Primary, 93.94% of voters that participated cast an early ballot, while 91.67%
of voters that participated in the 2020 General Election cast an early ballot.

2.1 – Scope and Objectives
Forecast models include Early Voting and Election Day turnout projections for the 2022 Primary and
General elections. The Wait-Time Reduction Plan focuses on both Early and Election Day voting at Vote
Centers and meets statutory and legal requirements outlined in section 2.1.1 below. The objectives for
creating a forecast model and Wait-Time Reduction Plan includes:
•
Create and use a forecast model that provides a fair estimation of Early Voting and Election Day
turnout.
•
Use the model to develop Election Day, Emergency Voting, and Early Voting plans to reduce wait-
times at voting locations.
•
Refine the forecast as new information becomes available.
•
Develop a strategy to inform voters of wait-times at each location so they can make informed
decisions on when and where to vote.
2.1.1 – Statutory and Other Requirements
State statute (See A.R.S. § 16-411(J)) requires that counties provide a method to reduce voter wait-time at
the polls. The Arizona Secretary of State defines wait-time as the duration of time from when the voter
arrives in line to the time the voter is provided a ballot or access to an accessible voting device.7

2.1.2 – Forecast Model Constraints and Considerations
Elections occur infrequently and turnout is largely driven as a product of current events, candidates
involved in the contest, ballot measures, and voter engagement. Since it is difficult to measure and
corollate precise turnout based on these factors, we use actual turnout from prior recent elections as a
primary factor for estimating turnout. There are two major factors driving uncertainty in the forecast
models. The first factor being the impact that COVID-19 had on 2020 voting patterns and how those impacts
affect the turnout models. The second factor is that post 2020, there has been a significant amount of mis-
, dis-, and mal-information spread about the security of voting processes, especially as it relates to voting

7 Arizona Secretary of State 2019 Elections Procedures Manual (page 166).

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by mail. As a result, this could cause some voters that have traditionally voted early to instead vote on
Election Day.
This uncertainty in forecasting turnout is one of the key benefits to using a “Vote Anywhere” vote center
model. Vote Centers provide significant advantages for voters to overcome wait-times because they are no
longer assigned to a single precinct. In 2022, Maricopa County voters can choose from any of the 210-225
locations. If a wait-time of more than 30 minutes forms, a voter can visit another convenient location with
a shorter wait-time.
2.2 – Voter Registration Increases
Since August 2020, active registered voters in Maricopa County increased from 2,445,548 to 2,592,800 (6
percent). Historically, registration activity tends to increase leading up to an election. Based on registration
activity in similar election years (2020 and 2018), we anticipate there will be between 2,706,588 and
2,813,374 voters actively registered by the November 2022 General Election. The chart below shows that
the monthly pattern of voter registration increases since May 2017 and the estimated increases from
March 2022 through November 2022.

Since August 2020, there have been 147,252 active voters added to the voting rolls in Maricopa County.
The majority of these new voters have signed up for the Active Early Voter List (AEVL). As of April 20, 2022,
there were 2,015,528 (77.64 percent) of Maricopa County voters on AEVL. In November 2020, the percent
of voters signed up on the Permanent Early Voting list was 75.92%. This increase is an important indicator,
as it demonstrates that voters have continued to sign-up to receive a ballot-by-mail.
2.2.1 Forecast Models
Since elections are rare and there are many year-to-year factors that can influence turnout, we developed
two forecast models to estimate turnout. The forecast modes are designed based on the following six
factors:
1. Voter turnout from the prior two elections of a similar type.
2,190,931
2,623,087
2,613,395
2,000,000
2,250,000
2,500,000
2,750,000
3,000,000
May-17
Aug-17
Nov-17
Feb-18
May-18
Aug-18
Nov-18
Feb-19
May-19
Aug-19
Nov-19
Feb-20
May-20
Aug-20
Nov-20
Feb-21
May-21
Aug-21
Nov-21
Feb-22
May-22
Aug-22
Nov-22
Projected Voter Registration November 2022
Total Voter Registration
Projected Increase May 2021 - Nov 2022
High - 2,813,374
Low - 2,706,588

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2. The number of ballots (including regular, early, and provisional) cast in the prior two elections of a
similar type (A.R.S. § 16-411(J)(1)).
3. The number of registered voters ( A.R.S. § 16-411(J)(3)).
4. The number of registered voters who requested an early ballot or are on AEVL, (A.R.S. § 16-
411(J)(2)).
5. The potential number of ineligible voters that could attempt to vote.
6. The average decrease in turnout between presidential and gubernatorial election years.
The first model is based on average turnout during the 2014 and 2018 November General Elections, the
most recent general elections that occurred during a gubernatorial election cycle. The first model estimates
that total turnout will be 1,438,859 voters, with 291,863 voters participating on Election Day.
FIRST FORECAST MODEL – 2022 NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION
Forecast Factor
2014 Nov.
Voters (Factor)
2018 Nov.
Voters (Factor)
2022 Projected
Voters
Registered Voters (Active Voters Only)
1,935,729
2,229,718
2,733,284
Active/Permanent Early Voter Registration %
44.5%
56.7%
77.6%
Turnout Percentage (Active Voters Only)
45.32%
65.21%
55.27%
Total Turnout
877,187
1,454,103
1,468,859
Election Day – Eligible Voters Only
165,854
269,842
282,486
Election Day – Provisionals Not Counted
5,554
8,957
9,377
Election Day Turnout (Includes Provisionals)
171,408
278,799
291,863
Early Ballots Turnout (By mail and in-person)
711,333
1,184,261
1,185,996
We also prepared a model based on the same factors for the August Primary. The model used average
turnout during the 2014 and 2018 August Primary Elections. The first model estimates that total turnout
for the August Primary will be 748,824 voters, with 108,080 voters participating on Election Day.
FIRST FORECAST MODEL – 2022 AUGUST PRIMARY ELECTION
Forecast Factor
2014 Nov.
Voters (Factor)
2018 Nov.
Voters (Factor)
2022 Projected
Voters
Registered Voters (Active Voters Only)
1,974,428
2,229,718
2,671,260
Permanent Early Voter Registration %
44.5%
56.7%
77.6%
Turnout Percentage (Active Voters Only)
25.34%
31.38%
28.36%
Total Turnout
500,282
699,636
748,824
Election Day – Eligible Voters Only
66,552
101,482
105,809
Election Day – Provisionals Not Counted
1,974
2,178
2,271
Election Day Turnout (Includes Provisionals)
68,526
103,660
108,080
Early Ballots Turnout (By mail and in-person)
433,730
598,154
643,015

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2.2.2 Second Forecast Model
For the second model, we expanded the data inputs to include additional gubernatorial elections and
turnout comparisons with presidential election cycles. We included all gubernatorial elections going back
to 1946. On average, turnout in a gubernatorial election year is 62.07%. We used this percentage as the
low end of the turnout for the second model.

We also included a comparison factor comparing turnout decreases for gubernatorial election years as
compared to the preceding presidential election year. Based on turnout data for every election from 1946-
2018, we calculated the average turnout decrease between a presidential election year and the subsequent
gubernatorial election year. On average, turnout decreases 19.8 percent between the presidential and
gubernatorial election cycles. In 2016 and 2018 elections, the most recent years in which there was a
presidential election followed by a gubernatorial election cycle, turnout decreased by 13.34%. This was
the smallest turnout decrease since the 1988 (presidential) and 1990 (gubernatorial) elections which
decreased 8.9%.

To ensure the second model was incorporating current events, we used the most recent percentage
decrease of 13.34% to project 2022 turnout. Since 80.51% percent of voters turned out in 2020, we
calculated a turnout percentage of 69.77% as the high-end of the range.

The second model averaged these two factors and estimates that total turnout will be approximately
1,801,825 voters, with 251,615 voters (includes provisional voters) voting on Election Day.

SECOND FORECAST MODEL – 2022 NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION
Forecast Factor
Average of All
Gubernatorial
Elections (Factor)
Presidential
Election Average
Decrease (Factor)
2022 Projected
Voters
Registered Voters (Active Voters Only)
2,733,284
2,733,284
2,733,284
Turnout Percentage (Active Voters Only)
62.07%
69.77%
65.92%
Total Turnout
1,696,608
1,907,042
1,801,825
Election Day – Eligible Voters Only
141,340
311,935
242,238
Election Day – Provisionals Not Counted
9,377
9,377
9,377
Election Day Turnout (Election Day &
Provisionals Not Counted)
150,717
321,312
251,615
Early Ballots Turnout Projection (By Mail and in-person early)
1.550,210

Similar to the first model, we also performed this same forecast for the August Primary. We found that
total turnout will be approximately 960,962 voters, with 149,363 voters (includes provisional voters) voting
on Election Day.

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SECOND FORECAST MODEL – AUGUST PRIMARY
Forecast Factor
Average of All
Gubernatorial
Elections (Factor)
Presidential
Election Average
Decrease (Factor)
2022 Projected
Voters
Registered Voters (Active Voters Only)
2,671,260
2,671,260
2,671,260
Turnout Percentage (Active Voters Only)
35.94%
36.01%
35.97%
Total Turnout
959,939
961,986
960,962
Election Day – Eligible Voters Only
106,448
178,138
147,092
Election Day – Provisionals Not Counted
2,271
2,271
2,271
Election Day Turnout (Election Day &
Provisionals Not Counted)
108,719
180,409
149,363
Early Ballots Turnout Projection (By Mail and in-person early)
813,870

2.3 – Wait-Time Reduction Plan
Our first step in planning to reduce wait-times was to use historical information to forecast turnout.
However, voter turnout is only one factor that can cause long lines on Election Day. Other contributing
factors include the voting model (precinct-based vs. vote center), training, contingency plans, time-of-day
voting patterns, check-in speeds, length of the ballot, and access to early voting options. The 2022 Elections
Plan outlines our considerations for forecasting turnout and managing these factors to reduce wait-times
and lines at voting locations. Below are some factors and potential bottlenecks that may cause wait-times
during the August Primary and November General Elections and strategies Maricopa County is
implementing to mitigate them.
Expanded Access and Vote Centers
To help reduce wait-times, we have designed a model to provide voters with expanded in-person voting
options. The County will offer 210-225 “vote anywhere” Vote Center options on Election Day. Not only will
there be an expansion in the number of Election Day in-person voting locations, but the County will offer
many in-person voting locations beginning 27-days before Election Day. Vote Centers are regionally
dispersed and open in following four phases:

For the 2022 elections, we plan to increase the number of check-in stations per location by nearly 3-times
(on average) over the amount that was used during the 2018 November General Election. In 2018, the

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County provided each voting location with three SiteBook check-in stations for a total of 1,100 countywide.
Each voting location will be equipped with 8-12 SiteBooks totaling more than 1,800 check-in stations across
the county.

Regionally Dispersed Voting Locations
Vote Centers will be placed vote centers through-out the county, including in rural communities (e.g.,
Aguila, Gila Bend, Kaka Village) and along public transportation (e.g., Light rail, bus routes), and high
frequency transportation corridors. This ensures voters in all areas of the county are offered an in-person
voting option.

To ensure adequate coverage of voting locations in higher population density regions of Maricopa County,
we use historical turnout and heat maps that show where in-person voters are likely to vote. The image
below is of a heat map that uses 2020 in-person voting election data. Since elections in 2020 were the first
time vote anywhere Vote Centers were used on Election Day, this map provides great insight on where in-
person voters may participate in 2022. We use the data to ensure we have enough voting locations in
these areas.

Heat map using 2020 in-person voting data, with 2022 Vote Centers (Blue and Gray dots).
The dark red areas are the highest volume areas followed by the orange and yellow
shaded areas. The blue and green section of the map are the geographic areas that have
the fewest number of in-person voters.
Heat Map Analysis

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Check-in Process
The Elections Department will use SiteBooks to check-in voters at all voting locations. SiteBooks are
Maricopa County’s voter check-in system built in-house. The award-winning technology provides voters
and Poll Workers with enhanced functionality to the electronic poll book referenced in state statute. The
SiteBooks were first introduced in the November 2017 jurisdictional elections. Prior to 2016, Poll Workers
used paper check-in rosters, a manual process that slowed check-in times and were much less reliable. The
SiteBook provides faster check-in speeds because it allows for more than two voters to check-in
simultaneously at a polling location and connects directly with the Recorder’s voter registration system,
providing a secure, enhanced and streamlined voter experience. Check-in speeds from recent elections
average between 120-150 seconds per voter. The SiteBook check-in terminals guide voters through a series
of screens. Voters answer questions, in their choice of English or Spanish, to establish identity and eligibility,
which ensures the correct ballot is issued. With a barcode scan of an ID or by entering the voter’s name,
voters check-in and prove their proof of identity to a trained Poll Worker before a ballot is printed. For the
statutory ID requirement, a voter can provide one of the acceptable forms of photo identification, two
forms on non-photo identification, or a permissible combination of one photo and one non-photo
identification8.

Time Needed to Vote a Ballot
The length of the ballot or a limited number of voting booths can also create wait-times at a voting location.
We have evaluated the time it takes to vote a ballot and established sufficient capacity in our voting
locations to reduce bottlenecks. For the August Primary, we anticipate 10-14 contested offices and 4-6
additional contests on the ballot. For the November General Election, the majority of the ballots will have
between 65-75 total contests.

On average, we estimate that it will take voters between 4.4-6.4 minutes to vote the 2022 August Primary
Ballot and between 8.5-10.5 minutes to vote the 2022 November General Election ballot. Based on these
time estimates and the amount of time we have calculated to check-in, we can determine how many voting
booths are needed to eliminate bottlenecks in our vote centers. We’ve established the following voting
location guidelines for the room size of a voting location and the number of check-in stations and voting
booths to accommodate voters and minimize wait-times.

•
1,400-2,000 square foot location: 8 SiteBooks /25 Voting Booths
•
2,000-3,000 square foot location: 12 SiteBooks /30 Voting Booths

Provisional Ballots
The Elections Department will work to reduce the number of voters required to vote a provisional ballot in
two ways:
1. We introduced premium poll worker training and plan to have a Certified Premium Trained
Inspector at nearly every Vote Center across Maricopa County. The training covered topics that are
likely to create issues within a voting location including the common scenarios to cause to be issued
a provisional ballot.
2. We are implementing a Vote Center model equipped with ballot-on-demand technology and
SiteBook check-in stations to serve as “vote anywhere” locations. Vote Centers will be
geographically dispersed throughout the county and will provide voters the option to vote at a
location that is most convenient for them, which may be near their work, gym, favorite restaurant

8 (A.R.S. § 16-579 – Procedure for obtaining ballot by elector)

18 | P a g e
or while running errands. This voting model and technology eliminates provisional ballots issued
for out-of-precinct voters. The SiteBooks also allow voters to update their address and make name
changes during check-in, eliminating provisional ballots to be issued for voters that changed their
name or address after the voter registration deadline.
Poll Worker Training
As described in the Training Plan (Section 5, page 34), the Elections Department will require all Poll Workers
to attend training. We understand temporary Poll Workers live throughout the county and have other
responsibilities, so we plan to offer online training and several in-person training options where inspectors,
judges, marshals, and clerks can practice using the voting equipment and learn about election laws and
their job responsibilities. The in-person training sessions will ensure that Poll Workers are prepared. In
addition, a training manual that covers the duties of each role and the nuances and equipment procedures
is provided for every election. The manual will be available on the Elections Department’s website 45 days
before each election.

Poll Worker Staffing Contingencies
We are hiring an additional four to five Poll Workers per site for a total of up to 11 Poll Workers at each
location. These additional Poll Workers will allow for coverage during the early voting period and should
we encounter absenteeism. The Elections Department could experience 20-30% absenteeism from Poll
Workers and will be able to provide in-person voting options without interruption.
Command Center Hotline and Equipment Support
We have a command center hotline staffed with subject matter experts that are available to answer Poll
Worker questions and dispatch Troubleshooters as needed. Each call for service is documented in an
Election Reporting System. These service requests are reviewed by the training team and are used to
develop future training curriculum.

Vote Centers are equipped with 2-3 high-speed ballot-on-demand printers, creating a much-needed
redundancy to prevent lines in the event one printer needs service or repair. If a piece of equipment fails,
Poll Workers, Trouble Shooters and Technical Support Staff (T-Tech) are trained on solutions to correct any
issues that arise in the voting location. We have developed specific SiteBook and printer procedures for
checking in voters through using an off-line mode if a cellular network or the virtual private network
connection to the voter registration database is lost. If a SiteBook terminal becomes inoperable, a T-Tech
will be quickly dispatched with a replacement.

Additionally, Trouble Shooters will have access to five regionally located supply depots to obtain back-up
precinct-based tabulators, replacement printer cartridges, and other commonly used supplies in the event
a location’s equipment needs repair.

Additionally, Trouble Shooters will have access to five regionally located supply depots to obtain a back-up
precinct-based tabulators, replacement printer cartridges, and other commonly used supplies in the event
a location’s equipment needs repair.

Wait-time Simulations
To determine if we have established enough vote centers, check-in stations, and voting booths, we run
wait-time simulations to project wait-times. To simulate and calculate projected wait-times, we create a
sand box (physical mock-up of a voting location) and gather data inputs gathered from turnout models, the
number of phased-in vote centers, the regionally dispersed voting locations, heat map analysis, check-in

19 | P a g e
process, time-to-vote a ballot analysis, poll worker training, and command center response efforts. We
create different variations of the vote center to determine optimal voter flow. Using this information, we
generate simulations on expected wait-times. Those estimates are summarized in the table below.

August Primary Estimated Wait-Times
Time of Day
Average Wait-Time
Longest Wait-Time
6AM - 6:30AM
1 – 2 Minutes
7 – 8 Minutes
12:00 (NOON)
0 Minutes
1 – 2 Minutes
4:30PM
0 Minutes
3–4 Minutes
6:00PM
0 Minutes
3–4 Minutes
7:00PM
0 Minutes
2–3 Minutes
November General Election Estimated Wait-Times
Time of Day
Average Wait-Time
Longest Wait-Time
6AM - 6:30AM
3–4 Minutes
10–11 Minutes
12:00 (NOON)
0 Minutes
2-3 Minutes
4:30PM
3–4 Minutes
16–17 Minutes
6:00PM
7-8 Minutes
30–31 Minutes
7:00PM
1 Minutes
14–15 Minutes
Wait-Time Simulation Inputs: For both the August Primary and November General Election, the Presidential Election Average
Decrease factor from Model 2 was used to simulate wait-times. Of the two model projections and four factors (6 total options),
this factor calculated the highest estimated Election Day turnout. For planning purposes, we base our planning efforts to meet
the highest turnout.
August Primary Simulation Inputs: In-Person Voters: 180,408 / Vote Centers: 200 / Check-in Stations: 8 / Voting Booths: 15 /
Time to Vote Ballot 6.5 Minutes / Time to Check-in: 3 Minutes.
November General Simulation Inputs: In-Person Voters: 321,312 / Vote Centers: 220 / Check-in Stations: 8 / Voting Booths: 25 /
Time to Vote Ballot 11 Minutes / Time to Check-in: 3 Minutes.

2.5 – Wait-Time Remediation
For the August Primary and November General Election, we are implementing a systematic process to
monitor wait-time and respond accordingly. We have programmed our SiteBooks to calculate wait-times
based on the number of voters in line. The application is designed to calculate wait-time using a formula
based on check-in speeds and inputs of how many people are in line. We are training our Poll Workers to
count voters in line and report this information on the SiteBook every 15 minutes. The information is logged
and monitored by the Elections Department’s Command Center and Trouble Shooter hotline. This
information also immediately populates on the Elections Department’s website. Through this system, the
Elections Department and voters will have access to real time information about voter wait-times.

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If wait-times exceed 30 minutes, Inspectors or Trouble Shooters will work with Department staff to assess
the cause of the issue or bottle neck. Depending on that assessment, additional resources can be deployed
to provide technical assistance.

The Elections Department uses our Locations.Maricopa.Vote webpage to report wait-times in real-time.
Voters can sort locations by shortest to longest wait-times. During the 2020 Elections, we had an over 83
percent compliance rate with Poll Workers reporting wait-times every 15 minutes. We havedesigned the
page to be mobile friendly and provide voters with a quick way to find a voting location near them, as well
as search for locations open on the weekends and much more. Voters can visit this page directly or find it
through their BeBallotReady.Vote dashboard (described on page 22).

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3.0 – Communications Plan
This Communication Plan outlines our approach to informing key stakeholders in Maricopa County about
the 2022 August Primary and November General elections. The purpose of this plan is to establish the
communication requirements for the election and outline how the Elections Department will communicate
that information. The scope of the Communications Plan describes the following:

•
High level messaging about the 2022 Primary and General elections
•
The primary audience and stakeholders for our outreach
•
Paid and earned media strategy
•
Voter outreach strategy
•
STAR Call Center
•
Sensitive and crisis communications

3.1 – Communications Channels

The public and media can find official communications from the Elections Department through the
following channels:
•
Email – voterinfo@risc.maricopa.gov
•
Website
o English - Maricopa.Vote | BeBallotReady.Vote
o Spanish – Maricopa.Voto | TengaBoletaLista.Voto
•
Phone – (602) 506-1511
•
Social Media
o Elections Department (@MaricopaVote) – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & YouTube
o Recorder’s Office – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
•
Press Releases & Media Alerts
3.2 – Communication Approach & Strategy
It is essential that elections-related communications between all county government and the public are
consistent, accurate, and reliable. The Communications Plan serves as a guide that outlines the Elections
Department’s paid and earned media strategy, crisis communications strategy, as well as programs, events
and other methods to inform key stakeholders about the 2022 elections. In addition, changes or updates
may be required due to reasons such as changes in personnel, scope or budget.
3.2.1 Stakeholders and Audience
Maricopa County residents and voters are the primary audience for the Communications Plan. Additional
stakeholders include:
•
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors & Maricopa County Recorder
•
Elections Department and Recorder’s Office staff
•
Temporary staff including Poll Workers and central board workers
•
Maricopa County jurisdictions (city and town clerks, school districts, fire districts, etc.)
•
Vote Center facility owners and operators

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•
Political parties
•
Election-focused community and advocacy groups
3.2.2 Campaign Messaging Strategy
Given the significant increase of mis- dis- and mal-information on elections in Maricopa County, the 2022
campaign messaging strategy will focus on educating voters, building trust in election administration and
voting processes, and serve as a tool to attract election workers, observers, and other volunteers to support
the elections process.

Communications across all platforms will inform voters of important election deadlines and provide
information about how to cast a ballot in-person or request a ballot in the mail. Transparency, security and
trust in election results is critical to the success of this election. The campaign messaging strategy will also
provide the public with information about ballot tabulation, ballot tracking and the multi-layer oversight of
elections. The Elections Department’s earned media and voter outreach strategy will amplify our
#BeBallotReady paid media strategy. Some of the Elections Department’s messaging themes include:
•
An entire community of your friends and neighbors are working to ensure a secure, transparent and
accurate election in Maricopa County. Discover what it takes by visiting BeBallotReady.Vote.
•
Help Your Community Be Ballot Ready! Register to vote by July 5, pick a ballot if you’re an
Independent voter, and gain hands-on experience by working elections. Get involved at
BeBallotReady.Vote.
•
At BeBallotReady.Vote go behind the scenes with Maricopa County to see how ballots are secured
and counted and track your ballot every step of the way. Together, we make elections possible.

3.2.3 BeBallotReady.Vote | TengaBoletaLista.Voto
Maricopa County is making it easier for voters to make choices when it comes to how and when they want
to vote. Our communications strategy will use BeBallotReady.Vote and TengaBoletaLista.Voto as a tool for
voters to prepare for elections in 2022.
BeBallotReady.Vote and TengaBoletaLista.Voto provide Maricopa County residents with a personalized
voter dashboard in English or Spanish that includes everything they need to know to successfully participate
in elections and learn about the elections process. Voters can make changes to personal voter information,
learn about upcoming elections, find voting locations, sign up for ballot status alerts, and much more. The
platform also provides video tutorials, infographics, and answers to frequently asked voter questions to
ensure they can successfully participate in the election. It's a one-stop shop for Maricopa County voters to
find important election information.
During the Primary Election, the voter dashboard will also serve as a place for Independent voters or those
without a party preference to choose a Democratic, Republican or City/Town Only ballot. Independent
voters on the Active Early Voting List (AEVL) will not be mailed a ballot until they notify us of their ballot
choice online, by phone or by mail. Voters can make their choice at BeBallotReady.Vote.
3.2.4 Paid Media Strategy
The Elections Department and the Recorder’s Office contracted with Commit Agency through a Contract
Task Order to develop a well-rounded paid media campaign for the 2022 election cycle. The budget includes
$220,000* for the creative design, production of advertising materials, and other costs associated with the
marketing plan for all mediums in English and Spanish, as well as an estimated $399,000* for the Primary

23 | P a g e
and $577,0009* for the General in direct ad buys in both English and Spanish across multiple platforms
(television, radio, print, social media, digital display, and billboards). This paid media campaign; will run
advertising in six phases from May through November.
•
Phase 1 – May 3-July 1 (Primary Election – Get Involved, Pick a Ballot, & Voter Registration Deadline)
•
Phase 2 – July 2-August 2 (Primary Election - Early Voting to Election Day)
•
Phase 3 – August 3-23 (Primary Election - Tabulation to the Canvass)
•
Phase 4 – August 24-October 5 (General Election - Get Involved & Voter Registration Deadline)
•
Phase 5 – October 6-November 8 (General Election - Early Voting to Election Day
•
Phase 6 – November 9-November 30 (General Election - Tabulation to the Canvass)

3.2.5 Earned Media and Voter Outreach Strategy
The Elections Department’s earned media and voter outreach strategy will amplify our #BeBallotReady paid
media strategy. Methods in English and Spanish will include:

•
Earned Media Interviews – Our team is available for media interviews. We will inform voters about
important election deadlines, security measures, voting locations and ways Maricopa County is
making elections secure, transparent and accurate.
•
Press Releases – We will send out press releases to media on election deadlines including voter
registration, mail-in ballot requests, mail-in ballot deadlines, voting locations and dates, Election
Day information, and post-election information about election results.
•
Toolkits – We will create a customized toolkit for the Primary and General elections for our
jurisdictional partners, county agencies, community partners and others, which will include an FAQ,
Election Calendar, participating jurisdictions, social media graphics, security infographics and more.
•
Social Media – We will use social media to directly inform Maricopa County voters of their voting
options and respond quickly to changing narratives. Through our @MaricopaVote Facebook and
Twitter, and Instagram pages, and amplified by the Recorder’s Office social media channels, we will
share our messaging to voters throughout the election cycle and respond to voter questions with
actionable information and resources. We will also share our messaging with Maricopa County,
Condado Maricopa, and other county partners to expand our reach.
•
Newsletter – We plan to provide the public with a monthly Just the Facts newsletter to inform
subscribers about election facts, upcoming election dates and deadlines, event information and
more. The public can subscribe at JustTheFacts.Vote.
In addition to the methods above, the Elections Department will engage the public through public forums,
events, tours and more.
•
Public Forums – Our goal is to ensure that our outreach is accessible, accountable, and transparent
and works to meet voters where they are. We plan to host public forums to provide voters with
the election education and information necessary to participate in elections.

9 The budgeted amounts of $220,000, $399,000 and $577,000 are estimates and subject to change.

24 | P a g e
o Virtual Election Education Series – We plan to host a series of virtual webinars on election
specific topics. Our election experts plan to dive into recruitment and training, early voting,
in-person voting and tabulation.
o Public Forums – We plan to hold two public forums: one focused on the August Primary
Election and a second focus on the November General Election. These public forums will
provide information about the upcoming elections, how to get involved in elections and
offer election materials and voter tool kits. We expect them to be 90-minutes and plan to
send out invitations through our community partners and on social media.
•
Tours – We plan to provide tours of the Elections Department to elected officials and community
organizations to present accurate information about early voting, signature verification, the life of
the ballot, controls and documentation, and the checks and balances of the system.
•
Community Events & Activities – We can maximize our community outreach and make a positive
impact in the community by leveraging community events to engage, educate and inform eligible
voters about elections. These events will provide voter education, promote poll worker
recruitment, and ensure that the elections process provides equity to all voters. They will also
provide a forum to gain feedback and incorporate that feedback into election plans and future
outreach activities.
•
Student Election Program –The Student Election Program, reimagined from the STEP-UP student
poll worker program, provides educators and high school students access to engaging election
education information to raise their voter and civic awareness. It also provides opportunities for
students at least 16 years of age to get involved in a fulfilling experience as a Student Election Clerk.
Through leadership, job skills, education, and working with their fellow community, the Student
Election Program can help to make a student’s future brighter.
•
Deputy Registrar Program – The Recorder’s Office maintains a unique corps of non-partisan Deputy
Registrar volunteers. These individuals are registered Maricopa County voters and are trained by
the Recorder’s Office and certified on aspects of voter registration. They support the County efforts
at voter registration events, naturalization ceremonies and various voter education opportunities.
The volunteers also support the County with projects such as phone banking, mail sorting and other
tasks that directly impact voters. The Recorder’s Office provides these volunteers with ongoing
education throughout the year.
3.2.6 Communications Command Center
Throughout the election cycle, the Elections Department will stand up a communications command center
to quickly and accurately respond to the public and provide accurate election information. We will have
staff monitoring social media, responding to voters by phone and email, and communicating with the
media. The communications command center is located at MCTEC and staffed by Elections Department
and Recorder’s Office communications staff. In addition, two county communicators will support this
command center on Election Day to help meet the increased demand from voters.
3.2.6 STAR Call Center
The STAR Call Center is an important member of the election team. The STAR Call Center is a shared
resource between the Maricopa County Recorder’s, Treasurer’s and Assessor’s Offices. They maintain a call
center to serve all three offices. The STAR Call Center has seen a significant increase in volume around
elections. As a result, they are planning an increase in staff to reduce wait times to speak to a live agent.

25 | P a g e
Additionally, they are collaborating with the Elections Department staff to ensure their recorded messages
are up to date and accurately reflect information voters may be seeking. Should call volumes exceed the
STAR Center’s capacity, we’ve cross-trained Election Department staff members to support when needed.

3.2.7 Crisis Communications Strategy
In the event of an emergency or other crisis during the election cycle, effective and timely communication
will help to ensure voting integrity, public safety and the long-term reliability of the Elections Department.
For the purpose of this plan, a crisis is defined as a significant event or incident that disrupts – or has the
potential to disrupt – voting, ballot processing or tabulation.

All messages will include accurate and detailed information about the situation and what actions to take.
The media also aids in the dissemination of the crisis communication message. The Crisis Communication
Team will ensure that media has access to updated information throughout the crisis incident or event. The
Election Directors are responsible for notifying County Recorder, Board of Supervisors and the appropriate
members of the county’s senior leadership team of the status of the incident and provide ongoing status
reports.

The public will seek – and trust – other sources of information (e.g. news reports, social media, rumors, and
word of mouth) in the absence of official communication. Effective communication will help quell rumors,
maintain trust, and ensure public safety. We will convene the Crisis Communications Team as quickly as
possible. Depending on the urgency and severity of the incident or event, this may occur in person or by
phone. Team members include:
•
The Election Directors
•
Assistant Election Directors
•
Board of Supervisors - Chief of Staff for the Chairman
•
County Recorder - Deputy Recorder & Chief of Staff
•
Communication Staff
•
Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and County Recorder (as needed or as appropriate)
•
Legal
•
Others may participate based on the specific incident

The Crisis Communication Team will implement some, or all of the steps outlined below based on the
circumstance, coordinating with all key personnel. Throughout a crisis, the team will meet frequently to
review changing facts, assess whether key messages are reaching audiences and determine whether
strategies need to change. In the event of a crisis during the election cycle, final approval of all
communications rests with the crisis communication team.
1. Immediate Response – Based on the severity of the incident and facts available, the Crisis
Communications Team will determine what, if any, public messaging should be sent out and will
ensure public safety and other emergency responders are informed as appropriate.

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2. Notifying Key Audiences – The Crisis Communications Team will decide which groups need to be
informed first. Audiences could include:
•
Voters
•
Poll Workers
•
Elections Department and Recorder’s
Office Staff
•
News Media
•
Jurisdictions
•
Arizona Secretary of State
•
Political Parties
•
Candidates or Campaigns
•
Arizona Attorney General
•
Maricopa County Sheriff and other
state and local police
•
Arizona Counter Terrorism
Information Center
•
Maricopa County Department of
Emergency Management
•
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
•
U.S. Department of Homeland
Security
•
The U.S. Attorney’s Office
3. Determine Spokesperson(s) – This can either be a member of the Crisis Communications Team who
has knowledge of the crisis and is assigned to provide key messages and emerging facts to the
public/media, or an elected official in charge of Maricopa County elections.
4. Developing a Fact Sheet – As soon as possible after the incident, a fact sheet will be prepared to
supplement communication with key audiences and information provided to the media by the
spokesperson. Members of the Crisis Communications team will create the Fact Sheet, and those
with a direct knowledge of the crisis will check it for accuracy. Fact sheets released publicly or
posted to the internet must be time stamped and updated as information changes.
5. Informing the STAR Call Center, Email and Social Media Response Staff – Once information is known
and verified, the Crisis Communications Team will share messaging details and fact sheets with
STAR Center leadership and election staff that support email and social media communication.
6. Alerting the media – The Crisis Communications Team will decide the best ways to communicate
with the media during an incident or event. In cases where a crisis is likely to be prolonged, the
Crisis Communication Team may use the Maricopa County Tabulation and Elections Center
(MCTEC) for media briefings or within a designated location not in view of an official voting location.
We will take into consideration appropriate media staging locations that can accommodate
vehicles such as satellite trucks. Communication with the media must occur as frequently as the
Elections Department verifies new information.
7. Monitoring social media – To anticipate any problems in the flow of accurate communications to
the media and public, the Crisis Communications Team will designate staff to monitor social media
and respond to questions and disinformation immediately and with consistency.
8. Approval of outgoing information – Typically, we develop communications in a collaborative way,
but we recognize the need for decisive decision-making during a crisis to enable rapid, accurate
communication.

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4.0 – Staffing Plan
The Elections Department’s partnership with the Maricopa County community is vital to our success in
facilitating elections. We have a proud history of rapid, high-volume community support in serving as paid
election workers. These temporary workers (e.g., Poll Workers and central boards) are the face of the
Elections Department for voters, and voters expect elections services to be secure and efficient. Our
process begins with recruiting adequate numbers of staff for our polling locations, and hiring temporary
workers to support early voting activities, warehouse operations, tabulation and equipment management,
training and recruitment initiatives. These workers must possess the right mix of skills, while also ensuring
balanced political party representation to support the efficacy of elections services. Critical to our success
is the establishment of and adherence to timelines and schedules that make the best use of our temporary
workers while also ensuring fiscal responsibilities to our taxpayers.
The scope of the Staffing Plan for the 2022 Primary and General Elections includes strategies, constraints,
and methods to recruit:
•
Poll Workers to staff Vote Centers for early voting, emergency voting, and Election Day
•
Central board workers to staff election boards (e.g., early vote processing, duplication boards)
•
Temporary workers to staff election boards and other support operations (e.g., early vote
processing, duplication boards, delivery drivers, vote center set up teams and warehouse staff)
•
County permanent staff to support election operations by working at Vote Centers, Ballot Drop-off
Locations, Receiving Centers, supporting setup operations, and providing Election Night support in
the warehouse
4.1 – Staffing Approach and Strategy
The staffing strategy for the 2022 elections considers the hiring landscape with record low unemployment
and increasing inflation levels not seen in many decades. The Recruitment team faces new challenges in
confirming a qualified and capable workforce needed to support a successful election and ensure bipartisan
representation is involved every aspect of administering election processes. Below are some of the ways
we are pivoting to overcome these challenges.
•
Providing a pathway for Poll Workers that have worked in prior elections to come back in support
the 2022 August Primary and November General elections.
•
Revamping the Elections Department’s GetInvolved.Maricopa.Vote webpage that will serve a one-
stop online website that informs the public of all temporary employment opportunities while also
providing an easy way for potential temporary employees to submit their interest in working
elections directly to our recruitment staff.
•
Using paid media, earned media, events and community partnerships (e.g., County political
parties, Clean Elections, Secretary of State) to drive interested parties to the Elections
Department’s GetInvolved.Maricopa.Vote webpage and dedicated recruitment email inbox.
•
Developing targeted messaging to prospective hires that addresses health and safety concerns.
•
Increasing the number of Poll Workers at voting locations to proactively address turnover that may
occur and to ensure coverage in larger spaces.
•
Applying for federal grant funds to provide Poll Worker incentive pay to increase hourly pay rates.
•
Providing a pathway for Poll Workers that served in the August Primary to work in the November
General Election.

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Recruitment for the August Primary and November General elections will be performed in eight phases.
The majority of temporary workers are hired to work both elections. Each hiring phase and the timeframe
of the phase are described below.
•
Phase 1 (Beginning the week of April 11, 2022) – Hire 2,650 Poll Workers to staff approximately
210 - 225 polling locations. Most locations will be staffed by 11 Poll Workers to include one
Inspector, two Judges, a Marshal, a Voter Registration Clerk, and six Clerks, with at least one
employee proficient in communicating with voters in English and Spanish. For larger locations that
can accommodate 12 SiteBook Check-In stations, we will increase the size of the election board to
12 Poll Workers, adding additional clerk positions to more efficiently assist with issuing ballots and
coordinating line management to accommodate larger numbers of voters. Recruiters will confirm
Poll Workers are capable of performing role-specific duties, provide necessary paperwork to
support the hiring process, and schedule Poll Workers to attend training designed to model a safe,
secure, and high-quality voter experience. For the November General Election, this phase begins
the week of August 24.
•
Phase 2 (Week of June 05, 2022) – Hire 300 temporary workers to support elections operations:
T-Techs, Vote Center Setup Workers, Signature Verification, Special Elections Boards, UOCAVA, HR
Admin, Warehouse and Recruitment support. For the November General Election, this phase begins
the week of August 31.
•
Phase 3 (Week of June 27, 2022) – Hire 25 temporary workers to support elections operations:
additional Signature Verification and Special Elections Boards support as well as Training
Operations support. For the November General Election, this phase begins the week of September
14.
•
Phase 4 (Week of July 11, 2022) - Hire 34 Drivers/Warehouse Workers and T-Techs. For the
November General Election, this phase begins the week of September 28.
•
Phase 5 (Week of July 18, 2022) – Hire 40 temporary workers to support elections operations: Vote
Center Workers, T-Techs, Ballot Couriers, Hotline Operators, and Ballot Processors. For the
November General Election, this phase begins the week of October 5.
•
Phase 6 (Week of July 25, 2022) – Hire 74 temporary workers to support elections operations: Mail
and Ballot Runners, Drivers/Warehouse Workers, Ballot Processors, and Troubleshooter Hotline
Operators. For the November General Election, this phase begins the week of October 12.
•
Phase 7 (Week of July 25) – Hire temporary workers to support elections operations: Adjudication
Boards, Ballot Tabulation Center Operators and Ballot Tabulation Inspectors. For the November
General Election, this phase begins the week of October 19.
•
Phase 8 (Week of July 25) – Hire temporary workers, most from other County Departments,
offering civic duty pay, to support elections operations: Vote Center Setup Workers, IT Support,
Ballot Drop-Off Site Managers, Receiving Site Managers, and Elections Night Warehouse Support
(Red Line/Blue Line Workers). For the November General Election, this phase begins the week of
October 19.

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Recruiters will rely on a variety of resources to obtain the necessary workers for the Primary and General
elections. These resources include prior Poll Worker pipelines, partnership with the State of Arizona
agencies, outreach campaigns to the community and County employees, support from three staffing firms,
both online and in-person job board advertising, community partnerships, workforce programs,
recruitment fairs (online and in-person), Deputy Registrar events, and Political Party referrals. We will also
work with the Arizona Secretary of State’s office to recruit staff to work as Poll Workers for two-day sites.
The Elections Department will track recruitment efforts using our proprietary Poll Worker database, and
recruiters will provide weekly progress reports on challenges to staffing and adherence to schedule and
timeline. Temporary workers performing duties at the Elections Department will be processed for
background checks if this is their first time working for the Elections Department.
The Election Department’s recruitment and training teams meet regularly to cross-functionally share
observations and data in support of continual improvement of the recruitment process. This heightened
communication results in increased Poll Worker job fitting for future elections. Additionally, the training
team members act as Hotline Operators during periods of heavy call volume, allowing these team members
to assess issues and challenges at polling locations that may be mitigated through improvements in Poll
Worker recruitment.

4.2 – Statutory Requirements Pursuant to Staffing
A.R.S. § 16-531 specifies a requirement to hire “one inspector, one marshal, two judges, and as many clerks
of election as deemed necessary” not less than twenty days before an election. These individuals, per
statute, “shall be qualified voters of the precinct for which appointed,” and as far as inspector, marshal,
and judges are concerned, “shall not have changed their political party affiliation or their no party
preference affiliation since the last preceding general election.” Furthermore, “if they are members of the
two political parties that cast the highest number of votes in the state at the last preceding general election,
they shall be divided equally between these two parties. There shall be an equal number of inspectors in
the various precincts in the county who are members of the two largest political parties. In each Vote
Center where the inspector is a member of one of the two largest political parties, the marshal in that
precinct shall be a member of the other of the two largest political parties.” Finally, “any registered voter
in the election precinct…may be appointed [hired] as a clerk.”
This statute also specifies “wherever possible, any person appointed as an inspector shall have had previous
experience as an inspector, judge, marshal or clerk of elections.”
4.3 – Temporary Staffing Roles, Quantities, and Pay Rates
Pursuant to A.R.S. § 16-536, “The compensation of the election officers shall be fixed by the Board of
Supervisors and shall be a county charge. In no case shall an election board member be paid less than thirty
dollars per day.

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4.4 – Staffing Contingencies and Workload Balancing
Given how important these temporary workers are to ongoing operations, we’re deploying contingency
recruiting strategies in the event some Poll Workers and temporary staff cannot perform their role or duty.
We plan to hire 10-11 Poll Workers per site to ensure we have sufficient Poll Workers to staff the polling
location. This staffing model also allows us to overcome an absenteeism rate of 30-40%. We also work with
Role
Total
Pay Rate/hour
Temporary Recruiters
10
$18.00
Temporary Training Coordinators
6
$18.00
Inspectors
220
$15.00
Judges
440
$14.00
Voter Registration Clerks
220
$13.00
Marshals
220
$13.00
Clerks
1,540
$13.00
Temporary UOCAVA Clerks
6
$15.50
Temporary Ballot Processors
90
$14.00
Temporary Signature Verification Clerks
24
$15.00
Temporary Mail Couriers
12
$18.00
Temporary Ballot Couriers
49
$18.00
Temporary Warehouse Drivers
40
$18.00
Temporary Grips & Auditors
35
$15.00
Temporary Special Election Boards
12
$14.00
Temporary T-Techs
65
$19.00
Temporary Ballot Curing
10
$14.00
Temporary Troubleshooters
81
$15.00
Temporary Hotline Operators
6
$15.00
Temporary Adjudication Boards
46
$14.00
Hand Count Boards (Recruited by political parties)
155
$12.80
Temporary BTC Workers/Catchers
4
$14.00
Temporary “Red Line/Blue Line Workers
35
$12.80
Temporary IT Techs
10
$20.00
Temporary BTC Tabulator/Operators
4
$15.00
Temporary Warehouse Dock Worker
10
$15.00
Temporary Commination’s Intern
2
$17.00
Temporary Communication’s County Temp (Civic Duty)
3
$12.80
Total
3,355

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the County and Recorder’s budget department to create extra positions that can be used to immediately
back fill a vacated position, while offboarding paperwork is completed.
4.5 – Temporary Staffing Job Responsibilities
Job Title
Responsibilities
Temporary
Recruiter
Temporary Recruiter will source, screen, hire and schedule Poll Workers for assignments at
either Election Day Vote Centers. They will also be responsible for filing paperwork and
completing data entry in support of payroll functions.
Temporary Training
Coordinators
Temporary Training Coordinators will prepare and distribute class materials and assist with
hands-on instruction on the set-up, use, and breakdown of Election equipment.
Coordinators will also assist Poll Workers in troubleshooting online training issues and
answering emails in the Training Inbox.
Temporary Human
Resources Staff
Assist with tracking of clock-in and clock-out times for these workers.
Poll Worker:
Inspector
The Inspector is the Team Leader at the Vote Center, and as such, the Inspector is
responsible for delegating the tasks of other Poll Workers, ensuring workers clock in and out
properly, and providing assistance to voters. The Inspector is responsible for making sure
that each and every voter is able to cast their ballot privately and securely.
Poll Worker: Judge Each voting location will have two Judges of different political party affiliation. The Judge is
the backup for the Inspector, and therefore is charged with the same responsibilities as the
Inspector. Along with assisting voters with the check-in process, the Judge supports
Curbside Voting, the use of Accessible Voting Devices, and monitors Ballot Drop-Off and
Tabulation.
Poll Worker:
Marshal
The Marshal is responsible for preserving order at the polls, most specifically regarding line
management during high-volume cycles. The Marshal is responsible for maintaining order
at the polls and ensuring the opening of the polls and the completion of activities at the end
of the day. The Marshal measures the length of wait times throughout the day and may also
perform the duties of other Poll Workers on a relief basis. The Marshall monitors both
tabulators on Election Day.
Poll Worker: Voter
Registration Clerk
The Voter Registration Clerk assists voters in updating their name or address in the SiteBook
as needed. They may also assist the Inspector or Judge in verifying the voter possesses the
required acceptable identification. The Voter Registration Clerks shall be certified as having
completed and mastered a training curriculum approved by the Recorder’s Office due to
their access to live voter registration information via the SiteBook.
Poll Worker: Clerk
Clerks are responsible for providing voters with the correct ballot. This is done by confirming
specific information on the ballot, and in some cases (Early Voting, Emergency Voting,
Provisional Ballots) matching information on the ballot to information on an affidavit
envelope. In the case of Vote Centers using ballot-on-Demand (BOD) capabilities, the clerk
retrieves a printed ballot from a BOD printer, confirms the information on the ballot matches
the voter’s BOD code, and if necessary the code on the affidavit envelope, and presents
these items to the voter. Clerks will also report wait times using the SiteBook at regular
intervals.
Temporary
UOCAVA Clerk
UOCAVA Clerks support the mission of the Uniformed & Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting
Act. Duties include assisting overseas voters in registering to vote, requesting an early ballot,
and voting a ballot via a secure portal.
Temporary Ballot
Processors

Ballot Processors work in teams of two, or Boards, and they must be of a different political
party. Ballot processors open, verify ballots are for the correct election, and stack ballots for
delivery to the Ballot Tabulation Center.
Temporary
Signature
Verification Clerks
Signature Verification Clerks are responsible for verifying that signatures on affidavit
envelopes match voters’ signatures on record. They may use forensic techniques to analyze
signatures, and they may also perform other research such as contacting voters directly to
ensure the efficacy of mail-in ballot processing.

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Job Title
Responsibilities
Temporary Mail
Couriers
Mail Couriers are responsible for making postal runs, picking up printed items from Runbeck
Elections Services, and using electronic mail opening machinery to open ballots prior to
ballot processing.
Temporary Ballot
Couriers
The Elections Department uses Ballot Couriers to retrieve ballots from Ballot Drop Boxes and
securely deliver them to MCTEC for processing. Ballot Couriers must complete a chain-of-
custody form that is signed by the Vote Center Inspector or City/Town Clerk designee to
ensure the lawful hand-off and transportation of ballots.
Temporary
Warehouse Drivers
Temporary Warehouse Drivers are responsible for operating a fleet of 16’ box-trucks with
lift gates. Drivers transport equipment and items to and from Vote Centers and receiving
sites.. Warehouse Drivers may also support other warehouse functions such as checking
equipment in and out, lifting and stacking inventory, and general warehouse maintenance.
Temporary Set-Up
Team Members (T-
Techs, Grips,
Auditors)
The Elections Department establishes set-up teams that work in coordination with Poll
Workers to set up Vote Centers and Polling Locations prior to opening for Election Activities.
Some Set-Up Team Members will support troubleshooting efforts throughout the election
cycle and may support equipment security and retrieval activities at the close of Election
Day.
Temporary Hotline
Operators
Hotline Responders are staffed at the MCTEC Command Center and are responsible for
responding to issues and questions that may arise via phone or radio during an Election cycle.
Hotline Responders must be Elections Subject Matter Experts as they must deliver critical
information to voters, Poll Workers, and other Elections Support Staff under tight timelines
and during high-volume cycles.
Temporary
Adjudication
Duplication Boards
Adjudication/Duplication Boards, pairs of two from different political party affiliations, make
every attempt to determine voter intent, when in question, due to stray marks or other
issues on the ballot that may make accurate tabulation of a ballot impossible. Through an
electronic adjudication or manual duplication process, these bipartisan teams ensure that
the voter’s clear intent is reflected on the ballot which is tabulated.
Temporary Star
Call Center
Employees
Temporary Star Call Center Employees are responsible for responding to Elections-specific
questions from voters. These employees possess Elections Subject Matter Expertise and
deliver critical information to voters during high-volume cycles.

Elections Department Human Resources Liaisons, in coordination with Maricopa County Central Human
Resources, provide critical support in determining temporary staff eligibility to work, facilitating payroll
processing, and providing mileage reimbursement to temporary staff that use their personal vehicles on
official elections business.
•
Eligibility to Work: Each temporary employee must provide a copy of the appropriate
documentation to Human Resources to confirm their eligibility to work in the United States. Central
Board Workers must also pass a standard criminal background investigation to obtain badge
credentials that allow them to securely enter the MCTEC facility.
•
Payroll Processing: A coordinated effort between the Elections Recruitment Staff, Elections Human
Resources Liaisons, and County Payroll allows the Elections Department to provide pay to Poll
Workers in one lump sum at the completion of an election. Temporary Employees/Central Board
Workers may be paid through the County’s ADP system, allowing for bi-weekly pay for longer-term
employment.
•
Mileage Reimbursement: Department staff work directly with temporary employees that utilize
personal vehicles for official elections business, tracking and documenting mileage in compliance
with Maricopa County General Travel Policy A2313. Mileage Reimbursement forms are submitted
to County payroll for processing of reimbursements to temporary employees.

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4.6 – Deliverables and Performance Metrics
Staffing deliverables provide Performance Data that will shape future models. These include:
•
Weekly tracking of metrics related to hire-by-source. The Elections Department has leveraged
support from County Procurement to increase our cadre of temporary staffing resources. We are
currently partnering with three temporary staffing firms to provide quick-turn solutions for high-
quantity/high-quality resources. We will be tracking placements by source to better understand
the capabilities of these firms, and data will be shared back to Procurement leaders.
•
Poll Worker rosters showing assigned role, party registration status, polling location assignment
and training status
•
Weekly staffing updates showing recruitment status for each phase and position
•
Monthly performance data analytic reports will utilize dashboard formats (red, yellow, and green
shading) to identify:
•
Successful hire rates based on recruiting sources
•
Drop-Out rates based on recruiting sources
•
Areas needing additional resources or innovative measures to overcome challenges
•
Surveys (temporary worker and hiring manager)
•
After Action – Recruitment Lessons Learned report

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5.0 – Training Plan
The Elections Department’s training plan for the 2022 Primary and General elections establishes the
framework for ensuring temporary staff (e.g., Poll Workers, Troubleshooters, Central Board Workers) are
trained to perform their assigned roles and responsibilities to serve Maricopa County voters. Training is an
essential element to ensuring elections are conducted with integrity, efficiency, reliability, and in
accordance with federal and state laws.
The scope of the Training Plan describes the Elections Department’s approach to providing specialized
training for the temporary workers that will support both the August 2022 Primary and General Elections:
•
Approximately 2,600 Poll Workers will staff 210 - 225 polling locations to serve as Inspectors,
Judges, Marshals, Voter Registration Clerks, and Clerks.
•
Approximately 80 Troubleshooters will receive training from both the Poll Worker curriculum as
well as curriculum identified by the Vote Center Manager focusing on more complex issues related
to voting equipment
•
Approximate 700 central boards will receive training in classroom settings and through hands-on
learning opportunities delivered from division managers, supervisors, and subject matter experts.
5.1 – Poll Worker Training Approach & Strategy
Pursuant to A.R.S. § 16-532, the Elections Department “shall conduct a class for the instruction of inspectors
and judges…in their duties, which shall include instruction in the voting system to be used and the election
laws applicable to such election. Each election board member receiving instructions and properly qualified
shall receive a certificate of qualification. Only inspectors and judges of the election board who have
received the required instruction class shall serve at any election…Other members of the election board
may be trained at the same time.”
The Elections Department’s Poll Worker training plan for the Primary and General elections will be to
provide training with o these specific objectives:
•
Establish a training curriculum
o Redesign training curriculum to deliver 25% of training online via the County’s Learning
Management System, TheHUB.
o Limit in-person training sessions to no more than 18 participants and two Trainers.
o Focus in-person training sessions on setup, use, and breakdown of Election equipment
procedures.
o Develop an online skills assessment in tandem with online training modules to ensure Poll
Workers are ready to perform the tasks required of them as prescribed by A.R.S. Title 16,
the Arizona Secretary of State Elections Procedures Manual, and Elections Department
policies and procedures.
•
Develop informative, consistent, and accessible training sessions to ensure temporary workers
have the information they need to perform their roles successfully and ample opportunities to
attend training.
o Training sessions will be held in Central Phoenix and surrounding communities in the East,
North and West Valley.
o Training will be offered over the course of six weeks, six days a week, three sessions a day
and will include weekend and evening options.

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5.2 – Central Board Worker Training Approach & Strategy
The Elections Department’s Central Board Worker training plan will consist of both in-person classroom
setting training coupled with in-person hands on training.
•
Early Voting, Vote Center, and Warehouse divisions establish division specific role-based training
curriculum. This includes:
o Development and review of training manuals
o Formal classroom setting presentations
o Hands on demonstrations.
o Hands on software and equipment training

5.3 – Training Methodology
Temporary workers play a critical role in helping the Elections Department meet the resource needs
required to conduct an election. We provide staff with the knowledge and skills to overcome the challenges
they may experience while working at a voting location. We have a team of trainers and subject matter
experts that will provide the temporary workforce with appropriate training to prepare them for their
assignments. Factors that will be addressed include varied learning styles, statutory training requirements,
and the high volume of temporary staff that need training in a short period of time. Specific methodologies
and curriculum are described in further detail below.
5.3.1 Premium Poll Worker Training
The newest elections training product is the Premium Poll Worker Inspector training course. The Elections
Department’s goal is to have at least one Premium Certified Inspector present at each voting location. The
Premium Poll Worker Inspector course is a 16-hour course conducted over two-days. Each course has four
quizzes and an on-line final exam. To become a Certified Premium Poll Worker Inspector, a passing score
of 80% must be achieved to earn the recognition of Certified Premium Poll Worker Inspector. The new
course was introduced in July of 2021.
The learning objectives of the Premium Poll Worker Inspector course are:
•
To provide an in-depth understanding of all areas of the voting process
•
A clear understanding of how to trouble shoot all voting equipment issues
•
The ability to successfully resolve problems through de-escalation and problem-solving techniques
•
An understanding of the operational tasks that are required to be completed daily
•
Course Topics: Setting up the Vote Center, opening and closing procedures, SiteBook and ballot-
on-demand printer functionality, accessible voting device functionality, precinct-based tabulation
operations, checking voter ID, de-escalation and problem solving techniques.

As of April 15, 2022, we have completed 28 Premium Poll Worker two-day courses with 402 poll workers
successfully completing the course and online exam. Bipartisan representation is critical to the success of
the Election Department, and we have ensured to have a balanced amount of Democrats, Republicans, and
other registered voters attend. The number of attendees as of April 15, 2022, based on political party
registration status is shown below.
•
157 Republican Party
•
156 Democratic Party
•
89 Other (Independent, Party Not Declared, Libertarian Party)

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5.3.2 – 2022 August Primary and November General Poll Worker Training
Voters expect the Elections Department to conduct elections with integrity and efficiency, but they also
expect to receive a high-level of customer service. A voter’s experience at a voting location is directly
correlated with the level of expertise and customer service exhibited by the Poll Workers staffing. For the
August Primary & General Elections, the Elections Department will hire and train approximately 2,650 staff
to work at approximately 210 - 225 Vote Centers.
Successfully working at a Vote Center requires a difficult mix of soft skills, like customer service and de-
escalation techniques, as well as technical, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Elections Department
Trainers find unique ways to teach these skills in a format that is both interesting and time efficient. State
law requires specific Poll Workers to take training every time they serve. While we must target required
training topics, these repeat learners also receive updates on changes to laws, procedures, and voting
equipment. The Elections Department also hires Poll Workers that are new to serving, and for these
learners, capacity is the challenge. Trainers must identify the most important areas of learning before each
election and provide as many high-quality resources and job aids as possible that can be use up to and
including Election Day. “Just in time” training resources also include brief tutorial videos on specific, key
activities such as packing election equipment.
To continually improve the learning experience and increase knowledge retention, the Training Team will
require all Poll Workers to complete an interactive, web-based curriculum featuring multiple lessons of
study. In 2022, Poll Workers who serve as Clerks in the August Primary Election may take the entirety of
their learning via web-based portal if they are returning as Clerks in the November General Election. This
does not apply to those that served as Clerks in the Primary but are hired into a new role for the General
Election.
Each Poll Worker will complete an online assessment at the conclusion of their web-based learning to
ensure they meet the competencies required as a Poll Worker. A score of 80% or better will be required
for each Poll Worker to pass the course and be authorized to work at a voting location. We will offer Poll
Workers opportunities to retake the web-based training and assessment to obtain a passing score.
We anticipate Poll Workers will spend approximately four hours in learning sessions, between online and
in-person instruction, and strict attendance data will be kept ensuring all Poll Workers have completed the
required training. In-person sessions will be offered in four or more locations around Maricopa County,
with no more than 18 attendees in each session. The table below shows the availability of hands-on
instruction and the number of training sessions offered.
2022 August Primary Election Training Dates
Training Dates
Key Election Dates
Sessions
Seats
June 19 – June 25, 2022

7
126
June 26 – July 2, 2022

11
198
July 3 – July 9, 2022
E-27 (July 6)
24
432
July 10 – July 16, 2022

33
594
July 17 – July 23, 2022
E-12 (July 21)
39
702

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July 24 – July 30, 2022

43
774
July 31 – August 2, 2022
Election Day (Aug.2)
6
108
Total Sessions / Seats
163
2,934

2022 November General Election Training Dates
Training Dates
Key Election Dates
Sessions
Seats
September 25 – October 01, 2022

6
90
October 02 – October 08 2022

15
225
October 09 – October 15,
E-27 (Oct. 12)
25
375
October 16 – October 22, 2022

31
465
October 11 – November 05, 2022
E-12 (Nov. 01)
40
600
November 08, 2022
Election Day (Nov. 08)
2
30
Total Sessions / Seats 119
1,785
(The November General Election training calendar has fewer classes and attendees. This is the result of a returning
clerk that attended an in-person training and worked the August Primary. These clerks need only attend an
election specific online training course for the November General)

The Elections Department’s Early Voting teams will be spreading out throughout the building, allowing
those temporary employees enough safe space to work. Spaces usually dedicated for training will be
needed for our Early Voting teams. This created a unique opportunity for the Training Team to deliver most
of the in-person instruction in regional locations in the west, east and north valley. Many of our learners
will have the opportunity to train and practice using Elections equipment in a facility that has been outfitted
as a Vote Center. The rest of our in-person sessions will be held at spaces provided by the Maricopa County
Flood Control District (FCD) and the Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT). These
spaces will also be outfitted as “sandbox” voting locations. We are excited to offer this immersive learning
environment as part of the training strategy for the election cycle.
Poll Workers will be expected to demonstrate job readiness by passing specific course assessments
delivered by the training team prior to their first day at the polls. A high-level summary of training topics
covered in the training curriculum includes:
•
Review of Election Laws and Procedures including standard voting procedures, updates to election
laws and procedures, and issuance of ballot types/styles
•
Election Specific Training including an understanding of the contests on a General Election ballot
and critical dates associated with registration, Early voting, mail-in balloting, Emergency Voting,
and Election Day
•
Training on Opening and Closing Duties including voting location hours of operation, Poll Worker
hours, clocking in and out for duty, verifying duties to be performed, equipment setup and closing,

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furniture arrangement, inventory of supplies, signage placement, preparation of official and
unofficial envelope contents, and Election Night Drop Off Procedures
•
Role-Specific Training (see Appendix A, page 50)
•
Review and hands-on training setting up, using, and breaking down Polling Equipment including
BOD, Accessible Voting Device, Tabulator, SiteBook, and Voting Booths
•
Customer Service Training including accessible/curbside voting procedures, assisting differently-
abled voters, and teamwork strategies
•
Voter Check-In including required ID training and use of the SiteBook to update a voter’s name and
address
•
Safety and Sanitation Procedures including standards of cleanliness, use of PPE, Poll Worker and
voting location safety, and situational awareness techniques. This includes the use of the
Emergency Power Outage and MoFi Disconnection Procedures
•
Troubleshooting including when and how to implement wait-time reduction, contacting a
Troubleshooter for technical support, and basic equipment support
•
Supplemental Training for Inspectors and Judges including “how to” strategies for conducting a
pre-election meeting with Poll Workers, ensuring political party representation among Poll
Workers, gaining building access and developing relationships with building stewards, monitoring
envelope drop boxes, the provisional ballot process, spoiling ballots, and transmitting results
and/or delivery of voted ballots and Tabulator Memory (SD) Cards
•
Supplemental Training for Clerks and Marshals including using SiteBooks to report wait-times
•
Supplemental Training for Voter Registration Clerks including training designed by the Maricopa
County Recorder
•
Supplemental Training for Bi-Lingual Poll Workers starts with verifying Spanish language proficiency
and includes preparation materials in English and in Spanish to assist bilingual Poll Workers in using
elections-specific verbiage and terminology when assisting Spanish-speaking voters
•
Emergency Voting Training including the awareness of voter affirmations using a customized
affidavit envelope
•
Supplemental Micro-Learning for All Poll Workers focused on the Ballot Tabulation process to
provide Poll Workers with a better understanding of their role in closing out on Election Night and
the importance of returning all results and ballots to the designated Receiving Site
5.3.2 – 2022 Logistics and Warehouse and Technical Support Staff Training
In most cases, the Elections Department will cross-train temporary staff in two or more functional areas.
This reduces operational constraints and builds confidence in the team as well as with polling place and
Vote Center staff.
T-Techs (Technical Troubleshooters) and Setup Team Members
The Elections Department establishes set-up teams comprised of t-techs, grips, and auditors. The
teamwork in coordination with Poll Workers to set up Vote Centers and Polling Locations prior to opening
for Election Activities. They also provide technical response and support throughout the election cycle and
may support equipment security and retrieval activities at the close of Election Day. The set-up team
members will start one week prior to being scheduled to setup a voting location.
They spend this week in training attending poll worker training and participating on job specific training.
Training begins with attending a Maricopa County’s Driver Safety course. The Set Up team members also

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attend a classroom training session with their assigned Vote Center Lead Technician. Topics covered
include:
•
Job responsibilities and duties of each setup team member
•
Required setup paperwork and quality assurance checklists
•
Equipment overview
After being assigned to a setup team, the entire team will transition to a hands-on training course. In the
hand on training, they will visit a mock vote center where the team will spend several days practicing vote
center setups and troubleshooting equipment issues, including routine service calls such as ballot on
demand toner changes, printer jams, and any other election troubleshooting so that they may respond
quickly to maintain a fully operational Vote Center.
Ballot Couriers
The Elections Department uses Ballot Couriers to retrieve ballots from Ballot Drop Boxes and securely
deliver them to MCTEC for processing. Ballot Couriers perform their work as part of a bipartisan team. The
couriers must complete a ballot transport statement (chain-of-custody form) that is signed by a Polling
Location or Vote Center Inspector to ensure the lawful hand-off and transportation of ballots.
Couriers start one week prior to performing early ballot pickups from early voting centers. During their first
week, ballot couriers will attend the classroom portion of safe truck operations that delivery driver and
setup teams attend. They will also receive form training and undergo hands-on exercises demonstrating:

•
How to properly empty a drop box and how to lock /seal the box.
•
Completing transport statements
•
How to properly affix tamper evident seals on drop boxes and transfer cases
•
How to securely transfer the ballots from the drop box into the ballot transport containers
•
How to lock and seal the drop box for the next pick up.

Delivery Drivers
Delivery drivers will receive formal training from Risk Management on the principles of safe truck
operations. The training will conclude with a practical backing exercise to check driver competency prior
to scheduled deliveries. In house training will include equipment scanning procedures, equipment package
building and equipment loading/tie-down procedures.

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6.0 – Early Voting Plan
The Elections Department Early Voting Plan outlines and the establishes the framework for providing
voters with a reliable, secure and accessible Early Voting process for the Primary and General Elections.
This plan also provides Maricopa County voters and key stakeholders information related to Early Voting
activities with the goal of transparency and increased voter participation. The Recorder’s Office and
Elections Department are committed to improving the voter experience and increasing voter turnout by
providing the most accessible and voter-centric voting processes available.

6.1 Early Voting Approach and Strategy
In Maricopa County, voters have historically voted early, with early voting turnout exceeding 90% in recent
election. To ensure we can efficiently serve early voters while meeting statutory, security, and operational
needs, the Elections Department established the following early voting programs and processes.
•
Early Ballot Request (Active Early Voting List and One-time Requests)
•
Ninety (90) Day Notification Mailers
•
Printing and Mailing of Early Ballot Packets
•
Mail Pick-ups and Drop-offs
•
Signature Verification and Curing
•
Early Ballot Processing
•
Other Programs/Processes: Military and Overseas Voters (UOCAVA), Special Election Boards,
Provisional Ballot Processing, Serving Pre-trail Detainees

6.2 Key Dates
The table below summaries the key early voting dates for the 2022 August Primary and November
General Elections.
2022 AUGUST PRIMARY & NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION KEY EARLY VOTING DATES
Date
Description
May 2, 2022
Mail 90-day cards to AEVL Voters and begin accepting early ballot requests
June 18, 2022
Last day to send August Primary ballots to military and overseas voters
July 6 – 29, 2022
August Primary Early Voting – in person and by mail
July 22, 2022
August Primary – Last Day to Request and Early Ballot by Mail
July 26, 2022
August Primary – Recommended date to return ballot by mail
August 2, 2022
August Primary –Election Day
September 24, 2022
Last day to send November General ballots to military and overseas voters
Oct. 12– Nov. 4, 2022
November General Early Voting – In person and by mail
October 28, 2022
November General – Last Day to Request and Early Ballot by Mail
November 1, 2022
November General – Election Recommended date to return ballot by mail
November 8, 2022
November General Election Day

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6.3 – Early Voting Processes and Programs
6.3.1 - “No Excuse” Early Voting
Arizona law has allowed “no excuse” absentee voting for nearly three decades. In Arizona, this voting
style is referred to as “Early Voting” and “Vote by Mail”. Maricopa County’s voters have historically voted
early in large numbers. In the November 2020 General election, 91.67% of ballots cast were early voters.
Below is a graphical representation of turnout for past elections that shows the upward trend and
popularity of t Early Voting.

6.3.2 – Requesting and Early Ballot and 90 Day Cards
A voter can request a one-time ballot in the mail or sign up for the Active Early Voting List (AEVL). Voters
may make these requests by visiting BeBallotReady.Vote, Request.Maricopa.Vote, or contacting the
Elections Department. Voters on AEVL will be mailed a ballot 27-days before the August Primary and
November General Election, with the exception of Independent voters in the Primary. These voters must
first notify the Election Department of their ballot choice. Currently, 77.64% of all active voters are on
the Active Early Voting List (AEVL).

In addition to traditional ballot-by-mail options, Maricopa County also provides voters with additional early
ballot options. Voters may make requests for the following options by emailing SEB@risc.maricopa.gov or
calling us at (602) 506-1511:
•
Braille ballots
•
Large print ballots
•
Spanish ballots (Primary Election – English / Spanish included on one ballot; General Election – Due
to ballot length, a separate Spanish ballot is created)
•
Special Election Boards – Voters who are unable to vote by mail or in person due to a confining
illness or disability may request a Special Election Board. These Boards are made up of two
members of differing political parties who travel to the voter with the voter’s ballot to facilitate the
voting process. Often these voters are in hospitals or nursing homes.

41.90%
49.10%
55.07%
65.81%
69.05%
81.09%
77.82%
81.44%
91.67%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
Early Ballots as a % of Total Ballots Cast
(General Elections 2004 - 2020)

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Whether the voter decides to vote by mail or in-person, our goal is to provide safe, reliable, secure and
accessible choices that make it easy for a voter to participate in the Election. Prior to 2020, Maricopa
County voters could only sign up for the AEVL with a paper form or online through the state Motor
Vehicle Division website via a process more specifically designed for registering new voters. Now already
registered voters have another option to meet their needs. We developed an Active Early Voting List
(AEVL) “Online Portal” to offer a secure and simpler way for a voter to sign up for this status.

Ninety (90) Day Cards: State law requires the County Recorder to mail a notice to all voters on the Active
Early Voting List (AEVL) no later than 90 days prior to the Primary Election. The Maricopa County
Elections Department will be sending two types of cards on May 2, 2022; “Have a Party” card for voters
that have a party designation of Republican, Democratic or Libertarian and “Pick a Party” card for voter’s
that do not have a party designation. Voters without a party designation will need to select a ballot type
(Republican, Democratic or City/Town Only (when available)) to vote by mail. These cards also serve
several other purposes including:
•
Confirmation the voter still resides at the address on the voter registration file and provides the
opportunity for the voter to update their information if they have moved.
•
Request a temporary address request for their ballot to mail to.
•
Request to be removed from the Active Early Voting List (AEVL).
•
Request not to receive a ballot by mail for the Primary, General or both elections.
These AEVL voters may also make their request at Request.Maricopa.Vote by June 18, 2022 or mail their
card back by June 9, 2022 to ensure it is processed in preparation for the initial mailing of ballots for the
August 2022 Primary Election.

6.3.2 – Early Ballot Security and Tracking
Voting by mail in Arizona and Maricopa County is secure and verifiable. The Recorder’s Office and
Elections Department have internal controls and tracking methods for ballot security. These measures are
highlighted below.
•
ONLY REGISTERED VOTERS CAN REQUEST A BALLOT: State law requires that the Elections
Department check the voter registration record against vital records and government systems
prior to mailing a ballot to a voter. These checks verify the registration status of the voter and
ensures we send the correct ballot to the correct voter.
•
VERIFICATION STARTS 90 DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION: State law requires the Office of the
Recorder mail out notices to all voters on the Active Early Voting List 90-days prior to an election.
This mailing confirms that the voter still lives at the address on file using the U.S. Post Office
address database and allows the voter the opportunity to update their record if the voter has
moved. After reconciling our voter records, we mail ballots 27 days before an election.
•
CHAIN OF CUSTODY AND INTELLIGENT BARCODE TRACKER: Every single mailed ballot is tracked
upon delivery and receipt with a unique, intelligent mail barcode. Once the ballot is returned to
the Elections Department, there are also a robust set of chain of custody documents that track an
early ballot as it progresses through every step of the process. The combination of the unique
barcode and these chain-of-custody documents ensure the integrity and security of the early
ballot.
•
ALL AFFIDAVIT ENVELOPES ARE SIGNATURE VERIFIED: All signatures are checked against a known
signature on the official voter registration file including affidavit signatures from prior elections.

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The signature verification process has multi-level checks to ensure only valid signatures are
counted. Voters with questionable signatures are contacted by the Elections Department and
have 5 days after an election to confirm their signature.
•
ONLY VERIFIED BALLOTS ARE COUNTED: Once the signature is verified on the affidavit envelope,
it is opened by a bipartisan board and sent to be counted. All uncounted ballots (e.g. no signature
and non-matching signatures) are also tracked and reported in the official canvass for each
election.
Since every ballot is affixed with a unique intelligent barcode tracker, voters can also be alerted to when
the ballots are mailed, when the ballots are received, once the ballot affidavit is signature verified, and
when their ballot has been sent to be counted. A voter can track their early ballot by texting "JOIN" to 628-
683 or online at BeBallotReady.Vote.

6.3.3 - Printing and Mailing of Early Ballot Packets
For planning purposes, the Elections Department is preparing for up to 813,000 early voters for the
August Primary Election and over 1.5 million early voters for the General Election. Using these high-end
forecasts will ensure enough resources are available and allocated to print and mail ballots.

Early ballot packets sent include a carrier envelope, the early ballot, an early ballot affidavit envelope, and
voter instructions. These packets are printed and assembled at our current local vendor’s office, Runbeck
Election Services (Runbeck). This location has state-of-the-art security as well as fire detection and
suppression systems

SB 1530, passed during the 2021 legislative session, amended Arizona Revised Statute 16-545 requiring
new language on the Early Voting Carrier Envelope. Statutory language states: If the addressee does not
reside at this address, mark the unopened envelope “return to sender” and deposit in the United States
mail.

The Elections Department worked closely with the US Postal Service to develop verbiage that would not
negatively impact the timely delivery of the early voting packet. The agreed upon verbiage was added to
the carrier envelope during the November 2021 Jurisdictional Elections and will be used for all 2022
Elections.

(New Carrier Envelope with statutory required language “If addressee does not reside at this address,
mark the box and return it to the U.S. Postal Service.”

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The Early Voting Division manages a large volume of mail and all early voting ballot packets must be
carefully accounted for. Each early voting mail packet contains an intelligent barcode so that the Elections
Department and voters have visibility and can track it by texting JOIN to 628-683 or online at
BeBallotReady.Vote. The Elections Department, Runbeck Elections Services (Runbeck or RES), and the U.S.
Postal Service facilities maintain a very close and positive relationship to ensure mail and postal issues
impacting the sending or receipt of ballots can be quickly identified and addressed.

6.3.4 - Ballot Flagging
Elections Department staff respond to a large volume of voter inquiries (flagging) by phone, email and
social media, about their early ballot delivery (such as address issues) or requesting one-time delivery of a
ballot by mail for non-AEVL voters. Voters may request to receive an early ballot up until 11 days prior to
election day by 5 p.m.

The Early Voting Division also manages the processing of 90-day cards, adding/removing voters from
AEVL, voiding/reissuing ballots, temporary address requests, one-time ballot requests, and adding or
removing opt out requests for ballots from voters.

Ensuring that voters’ requests for early ballots are flagged and fulfilled quickly is required by state law.
There are three permanent and 25 temporary employees scheduled to fulfill this role. These staff are
also tasked with verifying the signatures of returned early ballot affidavits and contacting voters regarding
any signatures that are questionable or missing. This work takes place across the 27 days Early Voting
period and continues after the election for any early ballots that are mailed in the final days leading up to
the election and/or dropped off at voting locations on Election Day.

6.3.5 - UOCAVA Program
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) program provides military
personnel (domestic and stationed abroad) as well as any eligible voter overseas (temporarily or
indefinitely), extra time to receive and return their ballots. As required by federal law, ballots are mailed
or otherwise delivered to UOCAVA status participants 45 days before the election, allowing voters in
distant areas of the world extra time to receive and return their ballot. These voters have options to
return their ballot and signed affidavit to the Elections Department through a secure portal upload, fax,
mail, or email. For these ballots to count, ballots must be received by the Elections Department by 7 p.m.
on Election Day.

There are two permanent staff and 6 temporary staff that will ensure our military and overseas citizens
are able to vote. The work of these employees spans a longer time-period before the election. They
prepare ballots to be sent out to military and overseas voters beginning at least 55 days prior to the
election and these ballots are sent no later than 45 days (June 18) before the election. This staff
processes the returned ballots during that 45-day period and through Election Day.

6.3.6 - Mail Delivery Pick-ups and Drop-offs
The delivery and receipt of ballot packets between the U.S. Post Office, Runbeck and MCTEC happen on a
regular and regimented schedule to ensure that processing timeframes needed to tabulate ballots in a
timely manner can be maintained. As early ballots are returned by mail, a two-member bipartisan team
from the Elections Department pick-up the mail and deliver it in hand-documented batches to Runbeck.
The transfer is documented using a chain-of-custody transfer slip that is signed by both Elections
Department staff and Runbeck staff.

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Upon delivery of early ballot affidavits, Runbeck conducts an inbound scan of the affidavit envelope to
capture a digital binary image of the voter signatures from that packet and places those images into an
automated batch system for Elections Department staff review. To ensure all ballots are accounted for,
the batch system is continuously audited systematically in addition to being validated by Elections
Department staff and Citizen Boards through audit tray reports that accompany the batches. These audit
tray reports are also used by early processing boards (See 6.3.8 Bipartisan Ballot Processing Boards)

After the initial inbound scan pass, Runbeck then stores the unopened ballot packets in their facility in a
secure, water and fireproof vault, while Elections Department staff review the digital images of voter
affidavit signatures (used for signature verification, see section 6.3.7) – thus eliminating the need to
handle the actual physical ballot packet multiple times.

6.3.7 - Signature Verification and Curing
Maricopa County has a multi-level signature verification process to review 100% of the signatures on
mail-in ballots. Using a binary digital image, 100% of the signature records are compared to a reference
signature with a disposition made by a human. The digital image of the signature on the current affidavit
envelope is compared against a historical reference signature that was previously verified and
determined to be a good signature for the voter. These historical documents may include voter
registration forms, in-person roster signatures and early voting affidavits from previous elections.

During the first level review, trained staff first look at the broad and local characteristics of the signature
and compare it to up to three signatures on file. In this first review, staff can only select one of the
following two options:

1) Approve the signature (if it matches the one of the signatures used for this initial review)
2) Or move it to an “exception” status (if it does not).

If an envelope is moved to an “exception” status, the manager can review every signature sample we
have on file for that voter. When a signature is initially deemed an exception, the record is systematically
triaged to the “Manager’s Mode” queue where higher level management staff are tasked with
performing an additional review using all historical signatures on file for the voter. Dispositions in the
manager level include good signature, no signature, questionable signature, need packet, deceased, and
household exchange.

Additionally, for every batch of approximately 10,000 signatures, the managers perform an audit on a
randomized 2% sample of the signatures within that batch. Once all the signatures are reviewed and the
audit is complete, the dispositions are sent back to Runbeck to perform an inbound sort on those
corresponding ballot packets to create smaller physical batches of the packets based on their status (e.g.
Good Signature, No Signature, Questionable Signature, Need Packet, etc.).

Those physical batches (approximately 250 pieces per batch), with matching audit reports for each batch,
are then secured for transport by a bipartisan team of two Elections Department staff members back to
our Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC) facility for curing or processing and
tabulation. Once the packets arrive to the MCTEC facility, the batched trays are appropriately distributed
based on the dispositions made during signature verification. The affidavit envelopes deemed to have
verified good signatures will be triaged to the bipartisan ballot processing boards. The affidavit envelopes
deemed as no signature, questionable signature, need packet, deceased, and household exchange
packets will remain sealed and triaged to the Signature Verification/Ballot Flagging team for research and
curing.

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Upon being deemed as need packet, no signature, questionable signature, deceased or household
exchange, the sealed affidavit envelope is triaged to the Signature Verification/Flagging unit with audit
paperwork. A quality control process occurs to account for all packets. The staff will physically review the
packet to identify any additional information on the packet (i.e., notes from voter) or signatures on
different areas of the affidavit envelope.

State law requires the County Recorder/Elections Department to make a meaningful attempt to contact
the voter when their signature cannot be verified. The Signature Verification and Flagging team is
responsible for performing all curing activities. State law permits the voter seven calendar days (five
business) for the Primary and General Elections to verify a questionable inconsistent signature and up to
Election Day, 7 p.m. to cure a no signature packet.

The team will make a reasonable and meaningful attempt to contact voters utilizing the information
available in the voter’s registration file and the affidavit. Each staff member will utilize the preapproved
letter and/or script when communicating with the voter about the available options for curing.

All attempts to contact voters are documented on a standardized preprinted voter contact label, one
label per contact. The label includes the outcome of the communication, voter’s response, date of the
contact, and initials of the staff. Each staff contacting voters will be provided a supply of labels, approved
script, the guide for the labels, a phone, and affidavits that require follow up with the voter.

Voters have multiple options to cure their questionable signature. The TXT2Cure platform was recently
implemented as an additional secure option. The TXT2Cure platform requires users to verify whether
they signed the affidavit envelope, provide an electronic signature on an affidavit and an image of their
photo identification with an Arizona address. If a voter verifies their signature, the Verified and Approved
MCTEC stamp will be placed on the affidavit envelope. The packets containing questionable signatures
that are not cured by the deadline remain sealed and reported on the official canvass as either “rejects”
or as a “bad” signature final disposition status.

If a voter indicates they did not sign the affidavit envelope, the staff will immediately triage the
information to a supervisor. The supervisor will research the case and those categorized as allege voter
fraud cases will be triaged to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for investigation. Voters that forgot
to sign their packet have multiple options for signing their original packet or voting in person. If the voter
chooses to vote in-person the original unsigned packet is automatically voided in the system. The
packets containing no signature that are not cured by the deadline remain sealed and reported on the
official canvass as a “no signature” final disposition status.

6.3.8 – Bipartisan Ballot Processing
All early voting packets deemed to have a good signature are triaged to the bipartisan processing boards.
For the Primary and General Elections, there will be three permanent and 55 boards of two people each,
a data entry clerk and two room attendants (or 113 temporary employees) assigned to this task. At the
staffing levels anticipated for the Primary and General Elections, the Elections Department can process in
a regular shift up to 65,000 ballots daily to prepare them for tabulation (e.g., sorting, signature
verification, removing from the envelope).

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The early ballot processing requires a methodical separation of these affidavit envelopes from each ballot
to ensure every ballot is anonymous when tabulated. This separation process is done by hand, by Citizen
Boards consisting of two
people representing
different political
parties. The processing
boards are tasked with
preparing ballots for
transfer to the Ballot
Tabulation Center (BTC)
and identifying those
ballots that require
duplication (i.e.,
damaged, torn, stained
etc.) performed by a
bipartisan duplication
board. The boards are
required to complete
documentation
attesting that each
packet in the tray is
accounted for.
Processed trays are then
triaged to the Quality
Control (QC) team to
complete an additional
audit of the paperwork
and tray before
transferring custody to
the BTC.

The processing area is set up to maximize use of the spaces and allow the materials to move efficiently
between each functional area to station. There will be designated areas for unprocessed trays on racks,
quality control station, bipartisan board worktables, processed ballots awaiting transfer to BTC, and
empty affidavit envelope staging.

6.3.9 - Election Day Deadline
State law requires that all voted ballots be received back by 7 p.m. on Election Day and the US Postal
Service recommends that ballots be mailed at least 7 days before Election Day to guarantee timely
delivery. Ballots received after Election Day, even if they are post-marked as mailed on Election Day, are
not valid by law and are not counted. Traditionally, a proportionately small number of ballots are received
after Election Day despite robust efforts to educate voters about the recommended mailing timelines
(934 ballots of the 1,915,487 early ballots in the November 2020 General Election were received late, or
roughly 0.04% of early votes).

We are also incorporating more education in our advertising and community outreach about the ballot
drop-off option to ensure voters know they have an alternative way to deliver ballots back to the
Elections Department for processing if they prefer not to use the post office delivery system.

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6.3.10 Special Election Boards
The Elections Department administers a Special Election Boards (SEB) program, designed to assist
individuals who have a disability, are ill, institutionalized or otherwise incapable of traveling or using the
traditional Early Voting process to cast or mark their ballot. Under this program, a Special Election Board,
made up of two individuals of different political parties, will offer the voter options on casting their ballot.
Voters may choose to cast their vote in person, by phone, or by video call. The types of voters the SEB
teams typically serve are those that live temporarily or permanently in nursing homes, hospitals, and
homes or institutions for people with disabilities or those who cannot live independently.

The expanded vote ID requirement adopted by the legislature in 2019, requiring voters who vote early in-
person to show ID, creates significant challenges to serving the SEB population. Many voters that are
living, even temporarily, in these types of facilities do not have ready access to their government-issued
ID or other forms of ID allowed by law to be presented to satisfy the ID requirement.

6.3.11 - Processing Provisional Ballots
The Recorder’s office is also responsible for researching voter information for any provisional ballots cast
and determining whether or not the ballots are eligible to be counted. Provisional ballots are provided to
voters who vote in person but do not have the required ID or if there is a question about their eligibility to
vote. Voters casting provisional ballots often end-up in standard categories regardless of the type of
election, such as “not registered” or “registered too late/after the cutoff.”

For any ballot cast in person where sufficient ID was not provided in accordance with A.R.S. §16-579, the
voter will be issued a conditional provisional ballot and will have seven calendar days (five business days)
after Election Day to present the required ID to validate their ballot.

6.3.12 - Serving Pre-Trial Detainees
Pretrial detainees and other inmates in correctional facilities whose voting rights have not been
terminated due to a felony conviction may request their ballot be mailed to them at the facility. The
Recorder’s Office and Elections Department works with the County Sheriff’s office to ensure detainees
are able to make phone calls to the Elections Department to discuss their ballot request free of charge to
the detainee.

6.3.12 - Informed Delivery
Since 2021, the Recorder’s Office and Elections Department have added
another ballot tracking feature by utilizing U. S. Postal Service (USPS)
Informed Delivery. Voters can sign up for Informed Delivery email
notifications to access a digital preview of their ballot and the scheduled
delivery date. The interactive campaign includes a representative image
of the mail piece, and a clickable ride-along call-to-action image that
links to BeBallotReady.Vote or another Elections Department webpage
where voters can take action and find resources to prepare for
elections. Tied to Intelligent Mail Barcode sequencing, Maricopa County
is utilizing the Informed Delivery tool on ballots mailed throughout the
2022 election cycle and other official election mail to provide voters
with another trusted and secure resource to be ballot ready. Maricopa
County will also be eligible to apply for an USPS incentive during the mailing of the 2022 General Election
ballots, resulting in a potential 4% discount on postage for these approximately 2.1 million ballots.

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7.0 – Facilities and Logistics Plan
The Elections Department’s Facilities and Logistics plan for the 2022 Primary and November General
Elections establishes the framework for ensuring that Maricopa County voters have a safe, reliable, and
accessible in-person voting option for Early Voting, Emergency Voting and on Election Day.
The Facilities and Logistics plan describes our approach to providing adequate facilities and efficient
logistics support for the 2022 Primary and General elections. The Elections Department will offer in-person
voting options at approximately 210 -220 geographically dispersed locations that are compliant with the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We will also be providing approximately 10-15 drop box only
locations within government facilities throughout the County. The Logistics and Warehouse teams support
Early Voting, Emergency Voting, and Election Day operations and their objectives are to provide the
following activities:
•
Ensuring that an estimated 210 full time and temporary logistics (e.g., facility relations, ballot
couriers, hotline call center, and troubleshooters) and warehouse (e.g., drivers, inventory
specialists, and warehouse) staff are hired, trained and proficient on all assigned tasks and
functions in preparation for the General Election.
•
Acquiring, inspecting, setting up, and supporting Vote Centers.
•
Preparing, packaging, securing, delivering, and recovering sufficient and fully functional supplies,
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), voting materials, equipment, and technology to ensure
voting locations are prepared to serve voters.
•
Providing full-service response solutions to vote center staff issues that may arise during early
voting periods and on election day

7.1 – Facilities Management Approach and Strategy
The facilities management planning cycle starts approximately 12 months before the election and includes
regular communication with facilities owners and administrators to keep them apprised of available dates
and facility conditions. To help ease the voting experience, we attempt to use the same voting locations
from election to election. However, due to constraints (e.g., facility availability, construction, inspection
compliance, and specific election requirements) we cannot always adhere to this approach.
As described in the Voter Turnout and Wait-Time Reduction Plans (Section 2.0, page 11), we determined
that between 210 - 225 Vote Centers are needed for both the Primary and General elections taking place
in 2022. A final list will be published at Locations.Maricopa.Vote approximately 45 days before each
election. Tasks related to managing facilities include:
•
Establishing the layout and flow for each type of voting location (see section 7.1.1)
•
Performing inspections and ensuring locations comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (see
section 7.1.2)
•
Transitioning from early voting and emergency voting to election day (see section 7.1.3)
•
Acquiring and contracting with voting facilities (see section 7.1.4)
•
Setting up facilities and supporting ongoing operations (see section 7.2)

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7.1.1 Election Day Voting Locations
Voting Location and Setup
For the Primary and General elections, in person voters will have the option to vote from any one of 210-
225 geographically dispersed Vote Centers. All Election Day sites will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in
accordance with statutory guidance established in Title 16 of the Arizona Revised Statutes.
The Vote Center model will default to an eight check-in station layout with two ballot on demand printers
and 25 voting booths. The flow of the Vote Centers will be established in a manner that reduces
unnecessary foot traffic and keeps voter flow fluid. If practical, this Vote Center layout may be scaled up
for larger venues with higher anticipated voter turnout. In these situations, a 12 check in station equipped
with larger heavy duty ballot on demand printers will be used. The layout diagram provided below provide
a general understanding of voter flow and equipment placement. Not all locations will have this layout,
but setup teams are trained to standardize setup to establish safe and efficient polling locations.

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The Vote Center model provides Maricopa County voters the ability to vote outside their designated
precinct by using Ballot-On-Demand (BOD) and SiteBook technology. In an effort to simplify printer
deployment (e.g., setup, usage and repair) the Elections Department reduced the printery types from three
styes used in 2020 to two types for 2022. The two ballot-on-demand printers are described below.
1) The Mini BOD printer is a retrofitted Oki B432 that receives a firmware update along with the
addition of a driving laptop to manage the job load. An added high-capacity feeder (as pictured
below) and scalable extender will hold the 19” x 8 ½” ballots that would normally not fit in the small
manufacturer provided paper feeder. A comprehensive stress test was completed to thoroughly
understand capacity and identify best courses of action should an issue occur while deployed in the
field. The Mini BOD printer was first used in 2020. It proved to be a very reliable BOD printer.

2) Larger venues and sites open during early voting require the use of a larger more robust ballot
on demand printers. The Lexmark C4150 is the department’s newest acquisition and has already
demonstrated excellent performance in a jurisdictional election. This printer excels at producing
high quality ballots, envelopes and receipts in as little as 5.5 seconds per print item.

7.1.2 Facility Inspections and Accessible Voting
To verify that facilities will meet our needs, we perform inspections to substantiate hours of operation,
indoor space, floor plans, wireless connectivity, line management needs, and parking needs. We also
evaluate the facility to ensure voters with a disability are able to vote in-person or curbside if they choose.
To confirm usability and voter accessibility we review the following during our on-site inspections:
The Lexmark C4150 has the capability of a
workgroup printer that functions with the
ease of a personal output printer. High
volume printing with simple functioning is an
optimal solution for vote centers serving
larger venues.

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•
Voter entrance
•
Obstacles
•
Confirmation of minimum square footage, parking and lighting
•
Ability to setup certified accessible voting device
•
Availability for curbside voting
•
Drop-off or loading area with a level access side
•
Exterior and interior pedestrian routes that voters use to get to check-in and voting areas

In some instances, we are able to provide temporary installation of ramps or signage to create an ADA-
compliant site. If non-compliance issues are reported after our inspection, a new on-site assessment is
conducted, issues are worked on-site with the administrator, and the accessibility evaluation is updated.
Additional accessible voting options such as special election boards that visit nursing homes are described
in further detail in the Early Voting Plan. The Elections Department complies with the following Federal and
State laws in order to serve voters with disabilities:
•
52 U.S.C. § 20101 Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984
•
52 U.S.C.A. § 21081(a)(3) HAVA – Disability Rights
•
42 U.S.C. § 12101(a)(3); 42 U.S.C. § 12131 et seq. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
•
A.R.S. § 16-581
7.1.3 Transition between Election Phases
A smooth and seamless transition between Early Voting, Emergency Voting, and Election Day with minimal
problems can only be achieved through close communication and complete collaboration with Department
staff and the Recorder’s Office. To minimize voter confusion and duplication of efforts, the Elections
Department will use the same Vote Center facilities and equipment for Election Day as used during the
Emergency Voting and Early Voting phases.
7.1.4 Facilities Acquisition & Timeline
We place an emphasis on enhancing relationships with facility administrators and staff to build a reliable
inventory of ready-to-use facilities. Most facilities provide the Elections Department with their facility for
free or for a nominal charge. To manage facilities, we adopt a framework of communication, customization
and continuous monitoring.
•
Communication: We reach out to facility administrators about 9 months prior to an election and
attempt to quickly resolve delivery, setup, and other modification requests within 24-48 hours.
•
Customization: We work with facility administrators to customize voter flow, lines, seating and
operational space to ensure voters and staff have ample movement in and around the facility.
•
Monitoring: We provide responsive support from 180 days before the election through equipment
recovery on/or about one week after the election.
A timeline of key steps involved prior to the election in the acquisition of our polling locations is included
below:

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•
360 days: The Elections Department completes a joint review with the Recorder’s Geographic
Information System (GIS) team to determine prior in-person voting trends.
•
150 days: Early communication with facilities determines accessibility, compliance, and availability
for the duration of voting requirements. A “Save the Date” message is sent to facility administrators
to query polling place and Vote Center participation in all 2022 elections.
•
150-60 days: The Elections Department signs Facility Use Agreements with General Election Vote
Centers, which include dates of service and confirmation signatures. Facility technicians monitor
for changes in dates, times, venue, and ensuring positive relationships with facility owners and
managers.
•
60-21 days: Final confirmations are made with all facilities to determine if there have been any
changes in dates, times, and/or venue. Once all confirmations are made, the Elections Department
will post the locations on our website, Locations.Maricopa.Vote.
During the complete election cycle, we conduct continuous monitoring of interactions with facilities.
Department staff work to resolve issues. At the end of the election cycle, lessons learned are captured
during an after action review and recorded for future use.
7.1.5 Drop Box Only Locations
The Election Department will also be opening approximately 10-15 secure drop box only locations where
voters can drop off their sealed early ballot affidavit without having to visit a vote center or their local mail-
box. The vast majority of drop box locations are placed in municipal centers such as city halls, public
libraries.
We send bipartisan courier teams to visit the locations on a daily basis during early voting to retrieve
dropped off early ballot affidavits. The courier’s check-in with the City, Town, or facility representatives
and work together to open the locked and sealed drop box. All actions taken by the courier teams are
documented on an early ballot transport statement.
7.2 – Voting Equipment Delivery & Logistics
Vote Center equipment delivery and set up begins up to 36 days prior to the election. Set up teams will be
comprised of laborers, drivers, t-techs, warehouse workers and troubleshooters. Drivers will deliver the
equipment and supplies and perform initial set up of Vote Center support equipment. The tech crew follows
behind to perform the technical set up and ensure the location is ready for voters. Finally, a troubleshooter
will close the loop with a quality control check of critical systems such as the SiteBooks and accessible voting
devices.

Set ups are scheduled as early in the day as possible in order to address any problems that may arise and
set up crews are also encouraged to get ahead of the schedule as feasible. Set up crews confirm set up
completion with Vote Center manager and provide a second set of onsite test prints that further confirm
BOD functionality on site. A makeup date is injected into the planning calendar in the event that a failed
set up occurs.
7.2.1 – Equipment and Supply Buildout
The Elections Department begins organizing Vote Center equipment packages 90-120 days prior to
deliveries. Vote Center preparation starts with SiteBook updates, BOD printer checks and services which
include performance testing, printer settings checks and ballot file uploads. BOD test prints will confirm

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functionality and Quality Assurance checks are documented and provided to executive leadership. Yellow
and green bags include all of the critical technology peripherals needed to enable SiteBook and BOD
connectivity and communication, they are assembled jointly by IT staff and warehouse personnel. The
accessible voting device and precinct based tabulators are programmed and tested by Ballot Tabulation
Center staff and then carefully packed and configured for transport by warehouse personnel. Next steps
involve the non-technical preparation aspects and start with the consumable stock needed at each Vote
Center such as blank ballot shells, envelopes, blank paper for receipts and the heavier weighted 8 ½” x 11”
paper for the accessible voting device. Cleaning kits are also assembled which include all of the necessary
PPE and cleaning supplies required to operate and maintain a safe and healthy environment for poll
workers and voters. Temporary staff enter the workflow at this point and assist with the packaging and
preparing the general supply carts, voting booths, all barricades, curbside signage, black box, tables and all
of the stationary supplies such as ballot marking pens. They follow the same equipment checklist used by
permanent staff.
7.2.2 – Election Day Facility and Operational Support
Hotline and Troubleshooters
Hotline and troubleshooter temporary staff support critical functions as subject matter experts; they are
hired from a specialized pool of people with previous elections experience. They are already familiar with
the Election Reporting System (ERS) and understand the urgent need for quickly responding to problems
that arise.
Troubleshooters are issued kits with extra supplies and a troubleshooter manual for reference during their
shift. Troubleshooters act in a semi-supervisory capacity in their management of up to five Vote Centers
and are looked to for procedural guidance and some technical support as the first line of problem
resolution.
Troubleshooters are involved in every step of the process especially during site set up. They are usually the
first layer of resolution in any problem solving at a Vote Center and serve as a bridge between the Poll
Workers and the support staff.
Hotline staff are provided a detailed reference manual and a desktop application that replicates the
SiteBook check-in system user interface so that they can navigate Poll Workers through difficult scenarios.
Hotline staff are the primary operators of the ERS and are responsible for categorical reporting of technical
issues, administration issues, supply issues, voter registration, procedural issues and other general
problems that are beyond the capability of a Poll Worker to resolve.

7.2.3 – Election Equipment Recovery
The Elections Department plans to pick up all election equipment beginning the day after election day with
completion by the following Tuesday of each election. The pickup schedule is designed to accommodate
facilities with specific requirements for immediate equipment removal. Every attempt is made to collect
equipment and materials from every facility as timely and safely as possible, with a return of all facility
rooms and furniture to their original state. First priority after safety is accountability of all equipment with
the highest priority assigned to capital assets which will receive color-coded asset tags. Secondary priority
is the immediate identification of deficiencies or damages that may have occurred during the election cycle.
Finally, all equipment will be cleaned, recorded virtually in the warehouse management system and re-
stowed according to assignment. Printers, laptops, voting equipment and other passive electronic

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components will be scheduled for post-election servicing in accordance with original equipment
manufacturer guidance. After inspection and cleaning has been completed the warehouse team will work
in conjunction with the Recorders IT team to initiate repairs and conduct annual maintenance.
7.3 – Logistics and Facility Key Performance Indicators
We will measure our performance through the following Key Performance Indicators:
1. Election Site Resourcing: Measures the level of resourcing provided to election sites, this indicator
allows us to track and measure equipment package defects, the most important function of the
warehouse and logistics team.
2. Percentage of on time deliveries: Department standard is to deliver all assigned election equipment
and supplies to an election site 18 hours prior to Setup Day.
3. Uniformity at sites: The Elections Department uses the same standard for accuracy at all election sites.
This will be determined and tracked through a 10% internal inspection/audit.
4. Property Accountability: Refers to a measure of a) missing equipment, b) tracking of equipment, and
c) documentation, and includes verification of a paper trail that follows the equipment’s journey from
pallet rack to staging area to dock door to truck to election site and back
5. Response Time: Measures our response time to solve facility problems beyond the scope/capability of
a Troubleshooter.

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8.0 – Tabulation Equipment and Counting Plan

The Elections Department’s Tabulation plan for the August Primary and November 2022 General
Elections outlines how we will process and count ballots. The factors related to successfully and
accurately tabulate votes include:
•
Verifying that the amount of tabulation equipment is sufficient to accommodate forecasted
turnout
•
Using equipment that meets certification and testing requirements
•
Implementing physical and cyber security measures
•
Securely storing original ballots and creating audit trails
•
Hiring bipartisan central boards to assist with hand count audits, adjudication, duplication and
other tabulation activities

8.1 – Tabulation Approach and Strategy
State statute allows five business days for the processing of provisional ballots and curing of inconsistent
signatures on early ballots (A.R.S. 16-550 and 16-584D). Our goal is to have 100% of all valid ballots that did
not need curing counted and reported by the end of the cure period (Primary Election- August 9, 2022 and
General Election - November 15, 2022).

7.1.1 – Efficiency
For the 2022 elections, ballots will be counted by precinct-based tabulators (ICP2) if voting in-person on
Election Day, or by central count tabulators (High Speed – HiPro 821 or Cannon G1130) if voting by mail, a
provisional ballot, at an Early Vote Center, or at an Emergency Vote Center.
Precinct Based Tabulation
Precinct based tabulation occurs on Election Day as voters insert their ballot into a tabulator at their polling
location. The Elections Department posts these results after 8 p.m. on Election Day as the equipment and
results are returned from each of the Vote Centers. Given the geographic size of the County, it is not
unusual for the final posting of ballots cast on Election Day to occur after midnight. Based on turnout
forecasts (section 2.0, page 11), we anticipate 13% - 19% of voters to cast their ballots on Election Day. For
the August Primary Election this could be as high as 178,138 ballots cast. For the November General
Election this could be as high as 321,312 ballots.
As our tabulation equipment cannot read handwriting, write-in candidates voted on Election Day ballots
will need to be sent to electronic adjudication to tally and reports write-in results. This will occur on the
weekends of August 6th for the August Primary and November 12th for the November General elections.
Central Count Based Tabulation
Our central count tabulators are capable of scanning and counting ballots much faster than our precinct-
based tabulators. Based on quantities achieved in during the 2020 election cycle, we determined that we
can easily count a total of 110,000 – 140,000 ballots per day during an 8-hour shift.
Based on the turnout forecast completed in Section 2.0 (page 8), we anticipate total early (by mail and in-
person early) voter turnout to be between 643,015 to 813,870 for the August Primary Election. For the
November General Election, we estimate that early voter turnout could range between 1,185,996 and

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1,550,210. We use the higher estimates to make decisions on central count staffing projections to ensure
we can count ballots and report results timely.
August Primary
For the August Primary, we will use four high-speed scanners (HiPro) and five additional central count
(Canon) tabulators. Using a single eight-hour-shift (six tabulation hours and 1 report verification hour), we
will have a daily capacity to count approximately 110,000 – 140,000 ballots per-day. These amounts
indicate that it will require us between 5.8 - 7.4 days to count ballots if all ballots were received are ready
when we begin counting. State statute allows us to start tabulating early ballots upon receipt. However,
we typically do not receive all ballots at once, and voters tend to return closer to Election Day. We plan to
being tabulation on July 19, 2022. This should give us plenty of time to tabulate ballots and complete
tabulation for all ballots not requiring curing by the 5th business day after the election.
AUGUST 2022 PRIMARY ELECTION KEY DATES
Date
Description
June 20, 2022
Publish Logic and Accuracy Test Notice (at least 48 hours before test date)
June 30, 2022
Complete Logic and Accuracy Test
July 14, 2022
Start Duplication
July 19, 2022
Start Tabulation and Adjudication
August 2, 2022
Initial Results Reporting at 8 p.m. (processed early ballots)
August 3-9, 2022
As needed, daily updates will be reported between 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
August 3, 2023
Hand Count Audit Draw
August 16, 2022
Deadline for Board Approval of Canvass (A.R.S. § 16-642(A))

November General
For the November 2022 General Election, we will also use four HiPros and five Canon tabulators. Using a
single eight-hour-shift (six tabulation hours and 1 report verification hour), we will have a daily capacity to
count approximately 110,000 – 140,000 ballots per-day. These amounts indicate that it will require us 11 -
14 days to count ballots.
In the 2020 General Election, we received approximately 172,000 early ballots (8.2% of the total 2,089,563
ballots) dropped off at a voting location or returned by mail on election day. If we conservatively assume
that 10% of early ballots will be returned on Election Day, we will need to count approximately 155,000
ballots after Election Day. Early ballot processing (e.g., sorting, signature verification, removing from the
envelope) can take 3 days to process 155,000 ballots. Given the processing capacity of 90,000 – 110,000
ballots per-day, coupled with the tabulation capacity of 110,000 -140,000 ballots per day, we estimate to
have counted 100% of all ballots not needing to be cured within five business days after the Election. We
can implement a second shifts if turnout exceeds expectations.

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NOVEMBER 2022GENERAL ELECTION KEY DATES
Date
Description
September 26, 2022
Publish Logic and Accuracy Test Notice (at least 48 hours before test date)
October 6, 2022
Complete Logic and Accuracy Test
October 20, 202
Start of Tabulation, Duplication, and Adjudication
November 8, 2022
Initial Results Reporting at 8 p.m. (processed early ballots)
November 9-17, 2022
As needed, daily updates will be reported between 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
November 9, 2022
Hand Count Audit Draw
November 28, 2022
Deadline for Board Approval of Canvass (A.R.S. § 16-642(A))

Adjudication and Duplication Process
When early ballots are damaged, defective, or when voter’s intent is clearly indicated, but can’t be
determined by the tabulation system, we will electronically duplicate and adjudicate the ballot and then
use a bipartisan adjudication board overseen by an inspector to decide if voter intent can be determined.
Each board will be comprised of at least two members who are registered voters of different political
parties.

We conservatively estimate that the percent of ballots requiring adjudication will range between 9 - 11%.
Based on turnout forecasts, this would create a range of 60,000 – 90,000 ballots that need to be duplicated
or adjudicated for the August Primary and 110,000 -170,000 for the November General. Based on the
percent of ballot processed after Election Day, we are hiring sufficient staff to perform adjudication on
9,000-12,000 ballots for the August Primary and 10,000 – 15,000 ballots for the November General
elections. Considering the length of the ballot, we would need to hire approximately 20 adjudication
bipartisan boards (46 board members) to finish adjudicating the pose election day ballots within five
business days after Election Day.

7.1.2 – Security, Integrity, Transparency, and Oversight
There are many components to maintaining security, integrity, transparency, and oversight over the
tabulation process and equipment. They include system testing (e.g., certification, logic and accuracy
testing), physical security, credential management, network security, using paper ballots, performing
audits, hiring bipartisan central boards, and other checks and balances. Some of these items are described
in further detail below.

Certification and Accuracy Testing
As required by state statute, the Dominion Voting System we will use for the 2022 August Primary and
November General elections is certified by the Federal U. S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), the
State’s Equipment Certification Advisory Committee, and the Secretary of State. (see A.R.S. §16-442). Upon
receipt and installation of certified software on the tabulation equipment, the Elections Department
performed a hash code (i.e., digital fingerprint) verification test confirming the installed firmware and
software matched hash code values stored offsite with the EAC and the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office.

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The Elections Departments also performs a logic and accuracy test on all voting equipment prior to each
election. The conduct of the test is overseen by the Elections Department Director of Tabulation and In-
Person Voting. The test is open to observation by representatives of the political parties, candidates, the
press, and the public. Since this election involves a federal or state office, the Secretary of State is also
responsible for conducting an additional logic and accuracy test on selected voting equipment (see A.R.S.
§ 16-449).
The logic and accuracy test uses a set of test ballots with a predetermined set of results to verify that the
election management system (EMS) is accurately programed for the specific election. Ballots and individual
votes are scanned on precinct and central count tabulators and reports are run to determine if votes
attributed to candidates and ballot measures in the election management system (EMS), are correct and
accurately being counted, sent to adjudication, summarized, and reported.
The logic and accuracy tests are performed before (pre) and after (post) each election. This series of tests
confirms that the software, firmware, and specific election program was not altered during the period
between the pre and post logic and accuracy tests.
Physical Security and Credential Management
The County and Elections Department have implemented a robust set of security controls for restricting
access to the tabulation system, managing credentials, and monitoring user access. Before any of the
County ballot tabulation staff enters the Ballot Tabulation Center to work at their assigned stations, they
must go through multiple security checks.
1. The BTC is located within a secure building that requires authorized badge access and is monitored
by Maricopa County Security Services. Both inside and outside, the building has 24/7 surveillance
cameras also monitored by security services. While ballots are onsite at the Maricopa County
Tabulation and Elections Center (MCTEC) the County has 24/7 physical security officers monitoring
cameras, doors, and performing employee badge checks.
2. Once in the building, higher level badge access is required for any door leading into the BTC. This
elevated badge access is only provided to designated staff with a business need to enter. Badge
access into the BTC and surveillance cameras are also monitored by security services.
3. Along with the surveillance system cameras inside and outside MCTEC, the Elections Department
live streams all access points into the BTC on its website 24/7.
4. All of the central count tabulation equipment is within the BTC, which requires authorized, elevated
badge access to enter. Only those whose jobs require them to be in the BTC have this level of
access. Within the BTC is another room that holds the EMS servers. This is a glass room that
requires elite-level badge access to enter. Only a few of the most senior election officials have this
access. The glass tabulation server room is also live steamed on the County’s website and onsite
security officers are monitoring who comes in and out of the server room.
5. All ports on precinct based and central count tabulation equipment are blocked and secured with
tamper evident seals and or serialized port blockers. In addition, the workstations for each central
count scanner and computer are contained within a locked security cage.
6. In addition, ballots are only tabulated when political party observers are present. Tabulation staff
and political party observers perform a reconciliation of total ballots tabulated before and after
each shift by comparing and confirming the totals on the tabulator screens to the totals collected
in the previous shift. This process independently validates that ballots are only counted when
political party appointees are observing the process.

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The tabulators (HiPro and Canon) in the Ballot Tabulation Center, used to tabulate all early ballots require
the following three forms of authentication to gain access to the tabulators and Image Cast Central (ICC)
program.
1. Windows Login Authentication password
2. iButton Key Fob two-factor authentication (2FA)
3. The program ICC password
The EMS workstations running the Election Event Designer and used to create the official certified results,
also have more than one form of authentication for access. The EMS workstations use two forms of
authentication, Windows login and the project password to the EED (Election Event Designer) to gain
access. Prior to every election, the Elections Department changes the Election Event Designer Project
password, Precinct Based Tabulator Password, and the Image Cast Central passwords. These frequently
updated passwords are required to tabulate ballots, run reports, and generate results.
Network Security
Air Gapped Network: The Elections Department maintains an air gapped network for the Election
Management System that prevents the tabulation system from connecting to the internet. In February
2021, two sperate audits performed by independent certified Voting System Test Laboratories confirmed
that the County’s EMS air gapped network was not connected to the internet
To demonstrate the design of the air gapped network, we’ve included a series of diagrams below describing
the different components of the EMS network, which can only “speak” to each other within the network.
It cannot access the internet or other County systems. This can be evidenced by the air gapped network’s
hard-wired lines which are visible through the glass windows into the Elections Department’s Ballot
Tabulation Center. The diagrams below also demonstrate that the EMS network exists separately from the
County’s network at large, including the servers supporting webpages for the Recorder’s Office and
Elections Department’s website.

Paper Ballots and Hand Count Audits
The Elections Department retains the original paper ballot until the election is officially canvassed. After
the official canvass, ballots from the elections are stored according to statutory and record retention
(Left) A network diagram of the County’s Election Management System air gapped network design with no
connections to the internet. (Right) A network diagram of the Recorder’s web servers, which shows a clear
separation between the website and the tabulation equipment.

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requirements. The tabulators also scan and store a digital copy of every ballot with a digital audit mark that
is affixed detailing how the ballot was counted. Since the equipment creates a digital image of the ballot,
the Elections Department immediately secures and stores the actual original paper ballots by batch after
tabulation. The ballots are stored in multiple batches of 200 or less within each long-term and sealed
storage box. This allows us to quickly locate the physical ballots if there is a need to compare them with
the digital copy.

We validate the accuracy of the tabulation system through a random Hand Count Audit of 1% of early
ballots and 2% of the ballots voted at a vote center. This manual hand count will be completed by
appointees of each of the political parties and not performed by our office or staff. The Hand Count Audit
is performed by three member boards of differing political parties (for checks and balances) on ballots
randomly selected by the political party observers during tabulation. The boards compare their hand count
results to the amounts counted by the tabulations machines. Board members may not bring any electronic
devices or pens into the hand count room.

Bipartisan Boards and Observers
The ballot tabulation center will be staffed by a tabulation manager, tabulation team leads, tabulation
technicians, bipartisan Central Boards (e.g., adjudication, duplication, write-in tally), and political party
observers. The Elections Department’s Director of In-person Voting and Tabulation appoints the Central
Boards, which are comprised of two members of different political parties and an independent inspector,
who are trained on their duties before assuming their positions. The Elections Departments recruiting
efforts include requesting each party provide lists of nominees that will be considered for appointment to
a Central Board.

All persons taking part in the processing and counting of ballots, including our staff members, will be
appointed in writing and take an oath office that they will faithfully and impartially perform their duties.
Any person who has not been appointed in writing or taken the oath shall, under no circumstances, be
permitted to touch any ballot, computer, or counting device used in processing or tabulating ballots.
7.2 – Reporting Results and Canvass
The Elections Director for In-Person Voting and Tabulation is responsible for promptly transmitting election
results to the Secretary of State, prior to or immediately after making those results public. On Election Day,
results will be transmitted at 8 p.m., which will include all early ballots tabulated as of Election Day. Election
Day results returned from in-person voting location will be posted as results are returned, which we
estimate will occur from approximately 10 p.m. through 1 a.m. (the following day).

Subsequent result posts that occur after Election Day will be accompanied by a press release that describes
the source/type of ballots included in the post, ballots left to count, and when the next post will occur.

The Elections Department will submit the Canvass to the Board for approval and will include the following
information (A.R.S. § 16-646(A)):
1. A Statement of Votes Cast, which includes:
a. The number of ballots cast in each Precinct in the county;
b. The number of ballots rejected in each Precinct in the county;
c. The title of the offices up for election and the names of the persons (along with the party
designation) running to fill those offices;
d. The number of votes for each candidate by Precinct in the county;

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2. A cumulative Official Final Report, which includes:
a. The total number of Congressional Districts;
b. The total number of ballots cast;
c. The total number of registered voters eligible for the election;
d. The number of votes for each candidate by congressional district

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8.0 – Risk Management and Contingency Plan
The Elections Department’s Risk Management and Contingency Plan for the 2022 August Primary and
November General elections establishes the procedures that will be followed in the event that a polling
location or the central count center becomes temporarily or permanently inoperable on Election Day due
to equipment failures, a power outage, or other unforeseen disruption. The objective of the Risk
Management and Contingency plan is to outline how the Elections Department will identify potential risks,
develop strategies to mitigate risks, and provide for the continuity of voting and tabulation on Election Day.

8.1 – Risk Management and Contingency Planning Methodology and Approach
Risk management is a continuous, forward-looking process that is an important part of conducting an
election. We perform risk management activities to identify potential risks that may adversely impact an
election and develop strategies that can mitigate these risks if they occur. The Elections Department’s risk
management process includes:
•
Identification of key operations that would have the most significant impact if they were
unavailable during the course of the election.
•
Assignment of project managers (e.g., Election Directors, Assistant Directors) over key processes
(e.g., communications, staffing, training, facilities acquisition, logistics) to work with stakeholders
to ensure risks are actively identified, analyzed, and managed throughout the project.
•
Crisis Communication Strategy that describes how risks will be documented and escalated. (See
Section 3.36, Page 19).

Voting Locations
In the event that a single or small number of voting location(s) experiences an emergency, the Elections
Communications Officer will use social media, traditional media, and other means where possible to advise
voters of the emergency and the nearest Vote Center location until the emergency is resolved. Maricopa
County is deploying 210 -225 Vote Centers that any voter can use in the event that one location is
unavailable.

In conjunction with local public safety authorities, an assessment will be made in order to determine the
operational status of vote location(s) by the Elections Department’s Facilities Acquisition Division. If the
Assistant Director for Logistics finds that the emergency will significantly or permanently close the location,
a new location will be found. The Facilities Acquisition Division will oversee the posting of signs providing
the information on the revised voting location. Signs will be placed as near as possible to the evacuated
location(s) alerting voters of the relocated voting location, as well as the location of the nearest Vote Center
location and the website address for the complete list of Vote Center locations.

The Division of Recruitment and Training will communicate this information to Inspectors, Trouble Shooters
and/or other Poll Workers. The Elections Department Communications Director will communicate the new
location to the public.

If the emergency is widespread and affects many voting locations, the Elections Department will work with
local authorities to perform an assessment of the situation. We’ll provide timely updates as described in
the Crisis Communications Plan (Section 3.27, page 25).

If a location loses power, the Elections Department has backup generators, supplemental lighting, and
other emergency supplies that we will dispatch from the Supply Depots for quick response. The Elections

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Department has established additional contingencies for long-term, widespread, power outages or cellular
network failures.

•
Sealed Break-in Case of Emergency Kit: This includes emergency voter check-in procedures, blank
paper check-in roster, transfer tickets, and transfer forms.
•
ICX Accessible Voting Device: The device has an uninterrupted back-up power source. The device
is loaded with all ballot styles and available to use as a vote anywhere model in case of an
emergency.
Voting Supplies and Equipment
If a voting location’s supplies or equipment are missing or inoperable, Poll Workers, Trouble Shooters and
Observers will use hotlines to advise the Elections Department. Replacement supplies and equipment will
be dispatch from one of ten Supply Depot locations across the County.

The Elections Department has addressed on-site contingencies with the use multiple SiteBooks and BOD
printers. All voting locations have at least six SiteBook check-in terminals, one accessible voting device and
a ballot tabulator. Vote Centers also have two ballot-on-demand printers. If other equipment
malfunctions, three Supply Depots across the county contain back-up equipment, which Trouble Shooters
and other technical support staff will deliver.

Central Counting Center
In the event that the MCTEC facility is inoperable on Election Day due to a centralized emergency, the
Elections Department will relocate the Tabulation Center to the City of Phoenix’s Election Department. This
process includes delivering and securing tabulation equipment and materials. The County has arranged
with Dominion to provide necessary contingent equipment.

Based on the joint agreement of both Election Director’s to relocate the Tabulation Center location,
Election Department employees assigned to work in election night activities will proceed to the relocation
site. The Elections Department will establish a personnel check-in area to account for all assigned workers.
Work assignments will be allocated based on election night responsibilities and include voting location
ballot/supplies receiving, securing, unpacking, secure ballot storage, tabulation, and the reporting of
unofficial elections results.

Staff assigned to early ballot signature verification will relocate to the Recorder’s downtown facility to
continue with that process. Early Ballot Processing, write-in and duplication boards will report to the City
of Phoenix Elections Department. The Election Department Division of Recruitment & Training will
communicate with all Central Board Workers to confirm their work location and any other important
information. Cellular phones, two way radios, and email will be used for internal staff communications.

The Director of In-Person Voting and Tabulation will notify the Secretary of State (and the chairpersons of
the recognized political parties) if this tabulation contingency plan is invoked.

Poll Worker Absences and Emergencies
The Election Department Division for Recruitment & Training is responsible for ensuring that an adequate
number of Poll Workers, including bilingual workers are hired and trained to work Election Day. In addition
we are hiring 10 - 11 Poll Workers for each voting location. The hiring of extra Poll Workers will allow us to
overcome an absentee rate of 30-40%.

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If a Poll Worker does not report for work, the Inspector is trained to call the Poll Worker hotline to request
the Elections Department hire and dispatch a replacement worker. If the Inspector does not report, a Judge
will assume temporary Inspector responsibilities of the polling location and call the Hotline for further
instructions, including the request for a replacement Inspector and/or additional workers.

If a Poll Worker becomes ill during Election Day or has a personal emergency, the worker will be allowed to
leave and will be replaced. If a health emergency occurs with a Poll Worker or any other individual in the
voting location, the Inspector is trained to call 911 and then the Poll Worker hotline.

8.2 – Provisions for Extending Voting Hours
In the case of a terrorist attack or natural or man-made disaster, the Director of Election Day and Emergency
Voting will consult with the Board of Supervisors, Sheriff’s Office, the County Attorney’s Office and the
Secretary of State’s Office to determine what action should be taken. Because the Legislature has not
provided the County nor the courts with the statutory authority to seek an extension of voting hours, the
County will not initiate any court action to extend polling location hours for isolated events such as power
outages or a delay in opening a polling location.

8.3 – Emergency Communications and Key Stakeholders
The Crisis Communications Team will be activated and a response plan will be set in action to disseminate
critical information to voters and other key stakeholders. As described in the Crisis Communications Plan
(Section 3.27, page 20) the Director for Election Day & Emergency Voting or designee will contact the Board
of Supervisors and Secretary of State to apprise them of any emergency and the proposed recovery plan.
The following entities have been identified as key stakeholders and are included in the communication and
escalation plan.

•
Voters
•
Poll Workers
•
Elections Department Staff
•
Board of Supervisors
•
County Recorder
•
News Media
•
Jurisdictions
•
Arizona Secretary of State
•
Political Parties
•
Candidates or Campaigns
•
Maricopa County Attorney
•
Arizona Attorney General
•
Maricopa County Sheriff and other state
and local police
•
Arizona Counter Terrorism Information
Center
•
Maricopa County Department of
Emergency Management
•
FBI
•
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
•
The U.S. Attorney’s Office

8.3.1 – Sheriff’s Support
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has assigned specific deputy officers to the Elections Department in case
of disturbances or emergency at any voting location on Election Day. All Poll Workers are trained to call the
hotline and Sheriff Deputies will be dispatched as needed. All Poll Workers are trained to call 911 in case of
immediate and/or life threatening emergency.

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9.0 – 2022 August Primary and November General Election Budget
On January 12, 2022, the Elections Department presented the proposed budget for the 2022 August
Primary and November General elections. The funding for each election is paid from the County’s General
Fund. To account of large-scale elections such as the August Primary and November General elections, the
budget department uses a specific accounting code (ELE1) to track and budget election related costs. The
FY2023 budget request is summarized is below.

August 2022 Primary Election Budget (FY2023)
Expenditure Description
Sub Total
Total
Staffing
Poll Workers (Vote Centers and Polling Locations)
$1,528,133

Central Board and Other Temporary Workers
$2,310,616
STAR Call Center Temps and Security Services
$250,000
Temporary Staffing Inflation Adjustment
152,947
Security Services
$50,000
Staffing Total
$4,291,696
Supplies and Services
Printing/Mailing/Postage Cost of Ballots
$3,655,385

Printing/Mailing/Postage – Voter Registration Cards
and Forms
$450,000
Translation Services, Twillo
$19,000
Vote Center Rental Agreements
$400,000
Mileage, Fuel, Temporary Parking Lots, Shuttle
Rentals, Vehicle Rentals
$214,287
Vote Center Supplies, Consumables, Other Supplies
& Services (e.g., translation, ballot storage, braille
envelopes)
$208,400
Advertising, Direct Mailers
$600,000
COVD-19 Contingency (Cleaning Supplies, Rentals,
Protective Equipment)
$347,053
Other Contingency (Preprints, change Cards,
Operations
$500,000
Supplies and Services Total

$6,394,125
Election Total Budget

$10,685,821

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November 2022 General Election Budget (FY2023)
Expenditure Description
Sub Total
Total
Staffing
Poll Workers (Vote Centers and Polling Locations)
$1,528,133

Central Board and Other Temporary Workers
$2,531323
STAR Call Center Temps and Security Services
$364,000
Temporary Staffing Inflation Adjustment
176,496
Security Services
$160,000
Staffing Total
$4,759,953
Supplies and Services
Printing/Mailing/Postage Cost of Ballots
$5,207,923

Printing/Mailing/Postage – Voter Registration Cards
and Forms
$250,000
Translation Services, Twillo
$19,000
Vote Center Rental Agreements
$400,000
Mileage, Fuel, Temporary Parking Lots, Shuttle
Rentals, Vehicle Rentals
$248,567
Vote Center Supplies, Consumables, Other Supplies
& Services (e.g., translation, ballot storage, braille
envelopes)
$213,400
Advertising, Direct Mailers
$600,000
COVD-19 Contingency (Cleaning Supplies, Rentals,
Protective Equipment)
$323,504
Other Contingency (Preprints, change Cards,
Operations
$750,000
Supplies and Services Total

$8,012,393
Election Total Budget

$12,772,346

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Appendix A – Poll Worker Training Topics
Specific role-based training topics by role and type of voting location are included in the table below.
Topic
Polling Places
Judges /
Inspectors
Marshals
Voter Reg. clerks
Clerks
Cleaning and Sanitation Guidelines for Safe Voting during COVID-19
X
X
X
X
Hours the voting location will be open
X
X
X
X
ICX Operation
X
X
X
Image Cast Precinct 2 Tabulator Operation
X
X
X
Information specific to the 2020 General Election
X
X
X
X
Inventorying supplies
X
Issuance of ballot types/styles (political party, FED only, ballot splits, etc.)
X
X
X
X
Mediation/Difficult Conversations
X
X
Monitoring envelope drop-off box
X
X
Nightly closing
X
X
X
X
Opening the voting location
X
X
X
X
Political party observers
X
X
X
X
Poll Worker injuries
X
X
X
X
Poll Workers’ hours
X
X
X
X
Practicing Physical Distancing
X
X
X
X
Preparing the official and unofficial envelope contents
X
Procedures for challenges
X
X
X
X
Procedures for checking identification
X
X
X
X
Proper Use of Required PPE
X
X
X
X
Provisional ballot processing
X
X
X
X
Review of election laws and procedures
X
X
X
X
Signage
X
X
X
X
SiteBook Operation
X
X
X
X

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Appendix A – Poll Worker Training Topics (Continued)
Topic
Polling Places
Judges / Inspectors
Marshals
Voter Reg. clerks
Clerks
Situational Awareness
X
X
X
X
Voter Flow through the Voting Location
X
X
X
X
Spoiled ballot procedures
X

Standard voting procedures
X
X
X
X
Delivery of voted ballots and Tabulator Memory Cards
X
Troubleshooting, including when and how to implement wait-time reduction
and other contingency plans
X
X
X
X
Voting equipment checks, including ensuring that equipment seals have not
been tampered with and verifying equipment is functioning properly
X
X
X
Who may vote in the election
X
X
X
X