2024 PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTIONS PLAN_FINAL.PDF
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Infographic ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................... 3
1.0. 2024 Primary and General Elections Plan ...................................................................................... 3
2.0 Forecasting Turnout and Wait-time Reduction Plan .................................................................... 10
3.0 Communications Plan ............................................................................................................. 19
4.0 Staffing Plan ............................................................................................................................ 25
5.0 Training Plan ........................................................................................................................... 32
6.0 Early Voting Plan .................................................................................................................... 38
7.0 Facilities and Logistics Plan .............................................................................................................. 50
8.0 Tabulation and Central Count Plan ................................................................................................. 56
9.0 Risk Management and Contigency Plans ....................................................................................... 64
10.0 2024 Primary and General Election Plan Costs .......................................................................... 67
Appendix A (Training Topics by Roles / Facility) …………………………………………………………………….68
VOTE CENTERS
VOTER INFORMATION
EARLY BALLOTS
ACTIVE
EARLY
VOTING
LIST
78%
Registered
voters are on
AEVL
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2024 Elections Plan
Primary, Jurisdictional, and General Elections
The Maricopa County 2024 Primary and General Election Plan outlines strategies, constraints, and
methods staff will use to prepare and administer the 2024 Primary and General Elections.
TRACK YOUR
BALLOT
Maricopa County will offer a “vote anywhere” election model to provide voters with
increased access and reliability. Voters can choose from various locations, days, an
d hours that are convenient for them to vote in person or drop off an early ballot.
TEXT JOIN
TO
628-683
MULTIPLE WAYS TO VOTE
GetInvolved.Maricopa.Vote
2,220 POLL
WORKERS
More than 400 temporary
employees to assist in
administration of election
100's of Maricopa County
Employees
Hybrid training
Locations.Maricopa.Vote
Results.Maricopa.Vote
Tabulation Security
Voters that need to make one-time early ballot
request or those who are out of town for th
e election can request an early ballot on our websit
e. Independent voters may also use this portal
to select a ballot type for that election.
Request.Maricopa.Vote
Maricopa County Elections is focused on educating voters and building trust in the
voting process. BeBallotReady.Vote provides voters with personalized election information. Voters can find myth busters at JustTheFacts.Vote.Maricopa County Elections is focused on educating voters and
building trust in the voting process. BeBallotReady.Vote provides voters with personalized election information. Voters can find myth busters at JustTheFacts.Vote .
BeBallotReady.Vote | JustTheFacts.Vote
Locations will open in phases at 27
days prior to election day, to 12 days
prior, 2 days prior, and Election day.
Voters may drop of early ballots at
any vote center, or drop box-only
locations.
Vote centers will be located less
than 2 miles apart on average and
are near bus routes & light rail.
Our website has searchable tools
for voters to find vote center hours
, wait times, and more!
By mail
In-Person
Drop Boxes
Military and
Overseas
Special
Elections Board
Restricted Access
Air-Gapped Network
Monitored 24/7
Chain of Custody
Tamper Evident Seals
Audit & Accuracy Tests
Bipartisan Boards & Observers
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1.0 – 2024 Elections Plan (Primary and General Elections) / Executive
Summary
The Maricopa County 2024 Election Plan outlines the strategies, constraints, and methods staff will use to
prepare for the 2024 Primary (7/30/2024) and General (11/5/2024) elections. The plan is intended to guide
Maricopa County 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
In May 2023, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (Board) partnered with the Maricopa County
Recorder (Recorder) by establishing a Shared Services Agreement. The purpose of this agreement was to
outline the responsibilities for administering elections in Maricopa County. The following chart outlines the
assigned election-related responsibilities.
Board of Supervisors
Recorder
• Candidate Filing
• Campaign Finance Reporting
• Recruitment and Training of Poll
Workers
•
Recruitment of Central Boards and
Temporary Staff
• Warehouse and Logistics
• In-Person Voting: Early, Emergency,
and Election Day Voting Operations
• Ballot Drop Boxes
• Ballot Preparation and Proofing
• Election Night Reporting and Post
Election Results
• Post Election Hand Count and
Canvassing
• Tabulation & Counting Center Security
•
Voter Registration
•
Mail-in Voting
•
Signature Verification
•
Early Ballot Processing
•
Uniform and Overseas Citizens
Absentee Voting
•
Special Election Boards
•
IT Services and Website Support
1.2 – Planning for the Election
Maricopa County Elections began planning for the 2024 Elections over a year in advance. As we progress
through the election cycle, we 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 plan, equipment maintenance, supporting candidate filing, updating
early voting instructions, and drawing precinct maps. This phase also included robust stress testing of our
Ballot-on-Demand printers, which increased the types of testing (e.g., both sequential and intermittent
printing types), paper weights (e.g., 80lb, 100lb), paper length (e.g., 14-inches through 22- inches) and
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number of printers included in the stress test. The next planning and implementation phase began in April
and May, approximately 90 - 120 days before the election, and included 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 –July Primary and Jurisdictional Elections
In the July 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 local jurisdictions1 with candidates
and/or issues will appear on Maricopa County’s July Primary Election ballots (A.R.S. § 16-204)2.
Maricopa County has four recognized political parties— Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, and No Labels.
At the state level, the Green Party is also recognized. Voters registered with these five3 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 approximately 32,000 unique ballot styles for the July Primary Election. The
chart below shows the key dates for the July Primary Election. These dates will drive election planning
activities.
1.4 – Primary and General Election Calendar
The critical operational dates for the upcoming Primary and General elections are included in the tables
below and on the next page. These dates will drive Maricopa County Elections planning activities.
1 Primary Election – 23 Cities and Towns that called an election prior to the February 8 deadline: 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 / General Election – 17 Cities and Towns; Jurisdictions: Avondale, Buckeye, Carefree, Gila
Bend, Glendale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Peoria, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Scottdale, Tempe,
Tolleson, Wickenburg, Youngtown; 28 School Districts and the Maricopa County Community College Districts
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.
3 Per Court Order in No Labels Party of Arizona v. Fontes, CV-23-02172-PHX-JJT (2024), no partisan candidates may
run on the No Labels Party ballot. Therefore, there are no partisan contests to vote. No labels voters registered to
vote in non-incorporated areas and local jurisdictions not having an election during the July primary will receive a
ballot with no contests to vote.
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2024 PRIMARY ELECTION KEY DATES
Date
Description
June 15, 2024
Send ballots to military and oversees voters (MilitaryOverseas.Maricopa.Vote)
~June 15, 2024
Update “Where Do I Vote” webpage (Locations.Maricopa.Vote)
July 1, 2024
Voter registration deadline (Register.Maricopa.Vote)
July 3– July 26, 2024
Early Voting – in person and by mail
July 19, 2024
Last day to request an early ballot through the mail
July 23, 2024
Recommended date to return ballot by mail
July 27 – 29, 2024
Emergency Voting
July 30, 2024
Election Day
August 12
Board of Supervisors Canvass
Aug. 12 - 25
Automatic Recount (if needed)
2024 GENERAL ELECTION KEY DATES
Date
Description
September 21, 2024
Send ballots to military and oversees voters (MilitaryOverseas.Maricopa.Vote)
~September 21, 2024
Update “Where Do I Vote” webpage (Locations.Maricopa.Vote)
October 7, 2024
Voter registration deadline (Register.Maricopa.Vote)
Oct. 9– Nov. 1, 2024
Early Voting – in person and by mail
October 25, 2024
Last day to request an early ballot through the mail
October 29, 2024
Recommended date to return ballot by mail
Nov 2 - 4, 2024
Emergency Voting
November 5, 2024
Election Day
November 21, 2024
Board of Supervisors Canvass
Nov. 22 – Dec. 10, 2024
Automatic Recount (if needed)
1.5 – Accessible, Reliable, Secure, Transparent, Efficient Voting Options
The mission and vision of Maricopa County Elections is to drive operations and areas of focus. They help
us improve our operations and motivate staff by guiding strategies and goals.
MISSION
The mission of Maricopa County Elections is to build public trust and confidence by providing
accessible, reliable, secure, transparent, and efficient election 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.
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1.5.1 Increased Access
Maricopa County Elections 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.
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
this request by visiting or contacting the Recorder’s Office. Republican and Democrat Voters on AEVL will
be mailed a ballot 27-days before each election. Early voters should sign and date the envelope, as well as
provide a phone number that election workers 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 offered by Maricopa County
Elections, a Department of the Board of Supervisors. Hours of availability will be posted at 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 38 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, Maricopa County implemented an in-person “vote anywhere”
Vote Center model in 2020. The Vote Center model was further refined during the 2022 Elections. Given
the benefits, Maricopa County will offer secure and convenient in-person Vote Centers during early voting,
emergency voting, and on Election Day again in 2024.
•
Early Voting (Open Monday-Friday, including some evening hours)
•
Emergency Voting (Open Friday (July 27), Saturday (July 28) and Monday (July 29) before Election
Day)
•
Election Day (Open 6am – 7pm)
Maricopa County Elections will use a phased approach to open 220 - 235 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 Primary and General elections. Vote Centers will be available during
business hours, in the evenings, and on Saturday during emergency voting. Hours of operation for Vote
Centers may vary. 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 below.
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July Primary Election Vote Center Schedule
Vote Center Opening Phases
Primary Election Opening Dates
Phase 1: Open Approximately 12 Vote Centers (28 Day Sites) on:
July 3
Phase 2: Open 30 - 35 additional Vote Centers (12-day sites) on:
July 19
Phase 3: Open 90 - 95 additional Vote Centers (4 -2-day sites) on:
July 27 – July 29
Phase 4: Open 80 -85 additional Vote Centers (1 -day sites) on:
July 30
Total Election Day Vote Centers
220 - 225
November General Election Vote Center Schedule
Vote Center Opening Phases
General Election Opening Dates
Phase 1: Open Approximately 12 Vote Centers (28 Day Sites) on:
October 9
Phase 2: Open 30 - 35 additional Vote Centers (12-day sites) on:
October 25
Phase 3: Open 95 additional Vote Centers (4 -2-day sites) on:
November 2 – 4
Phase 4: Open 90 additional Vote Centers (1 -day sites) on:
November 5
Total Election Day Vote Centers
230 - 235
We evaluate voting locations to ensure they meet ADA requirements and can serve voters with a disability.
We also offer curbside voting at all locations should 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 52 for more details).
1.5.2 – Improved Reliability of Voting Options and Operations
Maricopa County Elections has implemented redundancies, documented procedures, and contingency
plans so that Maricopa County can prevent both routine and unforeseen events from disrupting voting
options. The contingency plans also offer solutions so that Maricopa County Elections 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 sections of this plan.
•
2.3 Wait-Time Reduction (page 13) and Remediation (page 17)
•
9.0 Risk Management and Contingency plan (page 64)
1.5.3 – Transparency
To provide transparency of the County’s elections operations, the County made significant investments in
capital, staff, reviews, and other initiatives to provide the public and voters insight and visibility into the
inner workings of Maricopa County Elections. Some of these investments are highlighted below.
•
Installed security cameras to provide 24/7 live video feeds throughout Maricopa County Election’s
facility year around
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•
Added glass walls around the tabulation server and installed racking to clearly show the tabulation
equipment wires are not connected to an outside network
•
Hosted public board meetings and publishing of Election Plans
•
Hosted Tours of Maricopa County Election Facilities
•
Published educational videos
•
Invited political party representatives to observe and participate in voting processes
•
Implemented Voter Outreach initiatives
•
Invited Federally Certified Voting System Testing laboratories to evaluate tabulation equipment
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 38, 7.0 Facilities and Logistics plan – page 50 and
8.0 Central Count and Tabulation plan – page 56 of this document.
1.5.5 – Efficient Voting Operations
Maricopa County, is one of the largest voting jurisdictions in the nation with approximately 2.4 million
registered active voters. The County is geographically larger than seven states (Connecticut, Delaware,
Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island) and spans 9,224 square miles. 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 any 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 created detailed plans to recruit, hire and train a large workforce of over 3,000
temporary workers (see section 4.0 Staffing – page 25 and 5.0 Training sections – page 32).
•
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 Remediation plan – page 10 and 7.0 Facilities and
Logistics plan – page 50).
•
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 38, 7.0 Facilities and Logistics plan – page 50,
and 8.0 Tabulation and Central Count plan – page 56).
•
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 19)
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These efforts are all performed to serve voters for the Primary, Jurisdictional, and General Elections. With
a total estimated cost of $28 million for both the Primary and General elections, this is completed at a cost
of less than $12 per Maricopa County voter4.
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 7 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 7 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 45 - 50 geographically dispersed sites throughout the
County for eligible voters to cast a vote if they experience an emergency on the Saturday prior to Election
Day. The number of voting locations will increase to over 140 locations on the Monday prior to Election
Day. To minimize voter confusion, emergency voting locations will be the same sites used during early
voting.
4 5/4/2024: United States Census Bureau estimates Maricopa County had a population of 4,551,524 residents: U.S.
Census Bureau QuickFacts: Maricopa County, Arizona. As of 5/4/2024, there were 2,382,214 registered voters in
Maricopa County. Budget projections estimate that the county will expend approximately $28 million to
administer the Primary and General Elections. This totals $12 per registered voter.
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2.0 – Forecasting Turnout and Reducing Wait Times
To effectively plan for the 2024 Primary and General elections, Maricopa County 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 number 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 election process point to the
potential for historic voter turnout in the 2024 election cycle. In 2020 and 2022, the most recent Primary
and General Elections, voter turnout was at or near all-time highs.
-
2020 Primary Election Turnout – 35.4% (highest since 1990)
-
2020 General Election Turnout (Presidential Election) – 80.5% (Highest since 1980)
-
2022 Primary Election Turnout – 35.04% (2nd highest since 1990)
-
2022 General Election Turnout (Gubernatorial Election) – 64.2% (2nd highest since 1970)
For 2024, our high-end forecast model estimates that the July Primary Election could have over 890,000
voters participate with a turnout surpassing 36%. For the November General, our high-end turnout models
show that we could have nearly 2.1 million voters participate with a turnout over 80%.
2.1 – Scope and Objectives
Forecast models include Early Voting and Election Day turnout projections for the 2024 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.5
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 similar elections as the primary
5 Arizona Secretary of State 2023 Elections Procedures Manual (page 166).
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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 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 2024, voters can choose from any of the 220 – 235 locations. Voters
can visit the Locations.Maricopa.Vote website to find convenient locations along with wait-times. If a
longer wait-time forms, a voter can visit another convenient location with a shorter wait-time.
2.2 – Voter Registration Increases
Since June 2015, active registered voters in Maricopa County increased from 1,965,605 to 2,379,042 (21
percent). As of May 2024, there were 822,022 (34.5%) Independent or Party Not Declared Voters. In
comparison, there were 836,517 (35.1%) Republican Voters and 682,341 (28.6%) Democratic voters.
Historically, registration activity tends to increase leading up to an election. Based on registration activity
in similar election years (2016 and 2020), we anticipate there will be between 2,594,056 and 2,480,199
voters actively registered by October 7, 2024, the Voter Registration Deadline for the November General
Election. The chart below shows that the monthly pattern of voter registration increases from June 2015
through May 2024. It also includes the low and high projections for the total registered voters in October
2024.
2.2.1 - Forecast Models
There are many year-to-year factors that can influence turnout. To help us prepare for the election we
developed our forecast model to estimate turnout based on the following six factors:
1. Average voter turnout of all prior Primary and General Elections.
2. Voter turnout from the prior elections of a similar type. For the Primary Election, we used turnout
from the 2018, 2020, and 2022 election years. For the General Election, we used turnout from the
2016 and 2020 election years.
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3. 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))
4. Number of registered voters ( A.R.S. § 16-411(J)(3))
5. Number of registered voters who requested an early ballot or are on AEVL, (A.R.S. § 16-411(J)(2))
6. Potential number of ineligible voters that could attempt to vote
2.2.2 – Primary Election Forecast Models
Our model estimates that total turnout will be between 803,000 and 875,0000 voters that participate in
the July Primary Election. The forecast also estimates that there will be between 94,000 and 122,000 voters
that participate on Election Day. See table below for forecast voter turnout estimates.
2024 PRIMARY ELECTION – FORECAST MODEL
Forecast Factor
LOW END OF
RANGE
HIGH END
OF RANGE
MOST LIKELY
ESTIMATED VOTERS
Registered Voters (Active Voters Only)
2,429,094
2,484,224
2,470,441
Turnout Percentage (Active Voters Only)
29.6%
36%
35.2%
Total Turnout
718,918
894,630
870,154
Election Day – Eligible Voters Only
94,973
122,621
118,186
Election Day – Provisionals Not Counted6
1,679
2,490
2,229
Election Day Turnout (Includes Provisionals)
96,652
125,111
120,415
Early Ballots (In-Person Early, Drop Off, Mail)
623,945
776,444
747,533
2.2.3 – General Election Forecast Models
Our model estimates that total turnout will be between 1,889,000 and 2,088,000 voters that participate in
the November General Election. The forecast also estimates that there will be between 303,000 and
395,000 voters that participate on Election Day. See table below for forecast voter turnout estimates.
2024 GENERAL ELECTION – FORECAST MODEL
Forecast Factor
LOW END OF
RANGE
HIGH END
OF RANGE
MOST LIKELY
ESTIMATED VOTERS
Registered Voters (Active Voters Only)
2,480,199
2,594,056
2,565,592
Turnout Percentage (Active Voters Only)
76.2%
80.5%
78.3%
Total Turnout
1,889,058
2,088,584
2,009,882
Election Day – Eligible Voters Only
303,437
395,461
347,912
Election Day – Provisionals Not Counted7
12,434
25,726
17,557
Election Day Turnout (Includes Provisionals)
315,871
421,187
323,680
Early Ballots (In-Person Early, Drop Off, Mail)
1,585,621
1,693,123
1,661,969
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2.3 – Wait-Time Reduction Plan
Our first step in planning to reduce wait-times is 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 2024 Elections Plan outlines
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 Primary
and 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 220 – 235 “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:
July Primary Election Vote Center Schedule
Vote Center Opening Phases
Primary Election Opening Dates
Phase 1: Open Approximately 12 Vote Centers (28 Day Sites) on:
July 3
Phase 2: Open 30 - 35 additional Vote Centers (12-day sites) on:
July 19
Phase 3: Open 90 - 95 additional Vote Centers (4 -2-day sites) on:
July 27 – July 29
Phase 4: Open 82 additional Vote Centers (1 -day sites) on:
July 30
Total Election Day Vote Centers
220 - 225
November General Election Vote Center Schedule
Vote Center Opening Phases
General Election Opening Dates
Phase 1: Open Approximately 12 Vote Centers (28 Day Sites) on:
October 9
Phase 2: Open 30 - 35 additional Vote Centers (12-day sites) on:
October 25
Phase 3: Open 95 additional Vote Centers (4 -2-day sites) on:
November 2 – 4
Phase 4: Open 90 additional Vote Centers (1 -day sites) on:
November 5
Total Election Day Vote Centers
230 - 235
For the 2024 Primary and General Elections, we plan to increase the number of check-in stations per
location over the amount that was used during the 2020 and 2022 Elections. In 2022, the County provided
each voting location with eight check-in stations for a total number of 1,784 check-in stations Countywide
for the General Election. For 2024, each voting location will have 8-12 SiteBooks totaling more than 1,998
check-in stations across the county.
Regionally Dispersed Voting Locations
Vote Centers will be placed throughout the county, including in rural communities (e.g., Aguila, Gila Bend,
Kaka Village), 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.
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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 2018, 2020, and 2022 in-person voting election data. It includes every
currently registered Republican and Democrat voter that voted in-person during any of the primary or
general elections occurring since 2018. It also includes all newly registered Republicans and Democrats
that registered to vote since 2022 and that have not signed up for the Active Early Voting List. We use the
data to ensure we have enough voting locations in these areas.
Check-in Process
Maricopa County Elections will use SiteBooks to check-in voters at all voting locations. SiteBooks are
Maricopa County’s voter check-in system and 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
Heat map using 2018, 2020, and 2022 in-person voting data, with 2024 Vote Centers (Circles). 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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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 Primary Election, we estimate that the average ballot will have 19
contests on the ballot. Using this data, we anticipate that it will take between 4.4 – 6.4 minutes on average
for each voter to complete their ballot. Based on these time estimates and the amount of time we have
calculated to check-in, we can determine how many check-in stations and voting booths are needed to
eliminate bottlenecks in our vote centers.
For the General Election, we estimate that the average ballot will have 80 contests on the ballot. Using this
data, we anticipate that it will take between 10.4 – 12.4 minutes on average for each voter to complete
their ballot. Based on these time estimates and the amount of time we have calculated to check-in, we can
determine how many check-in stations and 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.
•
800-2,000 square foot location: 4 - 8 SiteBooks Check-in Stations /20 - 35 Voting Booths
•
2,000-3,000 square foot location: 12 SiteBooks Check-in Stations / 35 - 40 Voting Booths
Provisional Ballots
Maricopa County Elections will work to reduce the number of voters required to vote a provisional ballot
in three 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 common scenarios that cause a provisional
ballot to be issued.
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
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
8 (A.R.S. § 16-579 – Procedure for obtaining ballot by elector)
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changes during check-in, eliminating provisional ballots to be issued for voters that changed their
name or address after the voter registration deadline.
3. Lastly, the County is investing in a robust communications strategy that will include paid media and
earned media. Communications will be designed to encourage voters to BeBallotReady and get
informed about how to register to vote, who is eligible to vote, and how to find election deadlines
and Vote Centers..
Poll Worker Training
As described in the Training Plan (Section 5, page 32), Maricopa County Elections 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 Maricopa County Elections’
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 10 Poll Workers at each
location. These additional Poll Workers will allow for coverage during the early voting period should we
encounter absenteeism. The sites could experience 20-30% absenteeism from Poll Workers and
contingencies will 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 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 three 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.
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
process, time-to-vote a ballot analysis, poll worker training, and command center response efforts. We
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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.
July Primary Election Estimated Wait-Times
Time of Day
Average Wait-Time
Longest Wait-Time
6AM - 6:30AM
Less than 1 Minute
5 Minutes
12:00 (NOON)
Less than 1 Minute
Less than 1 Minute
4:30PM
Less than 1 Minute
Less than 1 Minute
6:30PM
Less than 1 Minute
Less than 1 Minute
7:00PM
Less than 1 Minute
Less than 1 Minute
Wait-Time Simulation Inputs are based on the highest estimated Election Day turnout. For planning purposes, we
base our planning efforts on meeting the highest turnout.
July Election Simulation Inputs: In-Person Voters: 124,850 (includes 2,229 provisional voters) / Vote Centers: 214 /
Check-in Stations: 8 / Voting Booths: 30 / Time to Vote Ballot 5.4 Minutes / Time to Check-in: 2.5 Minutes. Even
though vote center cancelations are rare, the simulation included 214 vote centers instead of the anticipated 224
vote centers. For wait-time estimates, we used 214 to account for smaller precincts (e.g., Kaka Village, Aguila, San
Lucy) and last-minute voting location cancellations. This smaller number prepares Maricopa County election if we
experience an unforeseen cancellation or closure of 5% of our planned vote centers.
November Election Estimated Wait-Times (Based on Most Likely Projections)
Time of Day
Average Wait-Time
Longest Wait-Time
6AM - 6:30AM
5 Minutes
15 Minutes
4:30PM
14 Minutes
27 Minutes
6:30PM
28 Minutes
45 Minutes
7:00PM
22 Minutes
40 Minutes
Wait-Time Simulation Inputs are based on the highest estimated Election Day turnout. For planning purposes, we
base our planning efforts on meeting the highest turnout.
November Election Simulation Inputs: In-Person Voters: 365,470 (includes 17,557 provisional voters) / Vote
Centers: 225/ Check-in Stations: 8 / Voting Booths: 30 / Time to Vote Ballot 13.1 Minutes / Time to Check-in: 2.5
Minutes. Even though vote center cancelations are rare, the simulation included 225 vote centers instead of the
anticipated 235 vote centers. For wait-time estimates, we used 225 to account for smaller precincts (e.g., Kaka
Village, Aguila, San Lucy) and last-minute voting location cancellations. This smaller number prepares Maricopa
County election if we experience an unforeseen cancellation or closure of 5% of our planned vote centers.
2.4 – Wait-Time Remediation
For the Primary and General elections, we are implementing a systematic process to monitor wait-times
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 train our Poll Workers to count voters in line and report this
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information on SiteBook every 15 minutes. The information is logged and monitored by Maricopa County
Elections’ Command Center and Trouble Shooter hotline. This information also immediately populates on
the Elections’ website. Through this system, Maricopa County Elections and voters will have access to real
time information about voter wait-times.
If wait-times exceed 30 minutes, Inspectors or Trouble Shooters will work with staff to assess the cause of
the issue or bottle neck. Depending on that assessment, additional resources can be deployed to provide
technical assistance.
Maricopa County Elections uses the Locations.Maricopa.Vote webpage to report wait-times in real-time.
Voters can sort locations by shortest to longest wait-times. Poll workers report wait-times every 15 minutes
to ensure voters have accurate and updated wait-times when selecting their vote center. We have
designed 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 personalized dashboard. (described in Section 3.2.3,
page 20).
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3.0 – Communications Plan
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
Department’s paid and earned media strategy, crisis communications strategy, as well as events and
other tactics to inform key stakeholders about the 2024 Primary and General Elections. The plan will
outline:
•
Key Messaging for the 2024 Primary and General Election
•
Strategies for Voter Education and Outreach
•
Overview of Paid Media Efforts
•
Earned Media Opportunities
•
STAR Call Center
•
Crisis Communication Plans
Maricopa County Elections will administer a Primary and General Election in 2024. The communications
plan will highlight efforts to inform voters about how to register to vote, who is eligible to vote and how
to find information about elections. The messaging strategy will focus on educating the community about
the elections process and building confidence in the administration of elections in Maricopa County, as
well as communicating hiring needs for each election.
3.1 – Communications Channels
The public and media can find official communications from Maricopa County Elections through the
following channels:
•
Email – voterinfo@risc.maricopa.gov
•
Website
o English - Maricopa.Vote | BeBallotReady.Vote
o Spanish – Maricopa.Voto | TengaBoletaLista.Voto
•
Social Media
•
Press Releases & Media Alerts
•
Public tours of Maricopa County Elections and Tabulation Center
•
Public events
•
Community Presentations
•
Video and Animated Content
3.2 – Communication Approach & Strategy
Maricopa County residents and eligible voters are the primary audience for the communications plan.
Additional stakeholders include:
•
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors & Maricopa County Recorder
•
Maricopa County Elections and Recorder’s Office staff
•
Temporary staff including Poll Workers and those working at the Maricopa County Tabulation and
Election Center
•
Maricopa County jurisdictions (city and town clerks, school districts, fire districts, etc.)
•
Vote Center facility owners and operators
•
Political parties
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•
Election-focused community and advocacy groups
3.2.2 - Campaign Messaging Strategy
Transparency, security, and trust in election results is critical to the success of this election. Given the
significant increase of inaccurate information on elections in Maricopa County, the 2024 campaign
messaging strategy will focus on educating voters, building trust in election administration, and serve as a
tool to attract election workers, observers, and other volunteers to support the election 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. The campaign messaging
strategy will also provide the public with information about ballot tabulation, ballot tracking and the
numerous layers of oversight of elections. Maricopa County Elections earned media and voter outreach
strategy will amplify our #BeBallotReady paid media strategy. Some of the messaging themes include:
•
Learn about key deadlines for voter registration, requesting a ballot for voters who are registered
as Independent or Party Not Designated
•
Find information about how, when, and where voters may vote in-person, both early and on
Election Day.
•
Register to vote, ensure your voter information is correct, 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 a ballot every step of the way.
•
Tabulating results takes time, but Maricopa County must ensure all legal votes are counted.
3.2.3 - BeBallotReady.Vote | TengaBoletaLista.Voto
Maricopa County strives to streamline the process 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 2024.
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.
3.2.4 - Paid Media Strategy
Maricopa County Elections and the Recorder’s Office contracted with Commit Agency through a Contract
Task Order to develop a well-rounded paid media campaign for the 2024 election cycle. The budget
includes services 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 direct ad buys in both English
and Spanish across multiple platforms (television, radio, print, social media, digital display, and
billboards). A paid media campaign will run advertising for both the Primary and the General Election.
3.2.5 - Earned Media and Voter Outreach Strategy
Maricopa County Elections’ earned media and voter outreach strategy will amplify our #BeBallotReady
paid media strategy. Methods in English and Spanish will include:
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•
Earned Media Interviews – The team will provide interviews about key election functions, offer
subject matter experts, and assist with coordination of interviews, broll, photos, and live shots at
the tabulation center.
•
Press Releases – Press releases will be distributed to media regarding 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 –Toolkits for the Primary and General elections will be created in English and Spanish for
jurisdictional partners, county agencies, community partners, and others. It will include an FAQ,
Election Calendar, information regarding participating jurisdictions, social media graphics,
security infographics, and more.
•
Social Media – Social media allows the County to communicate directly with Maricopa County
voters of their voting options and enable election staff to respond quickly to changing narratives.
Through the @MaricopaVote Facebook, Instagram, and XTwitter, accounts, and amplified by the
Recorder’s Office and Maricopa County social media channels, messaging will be spread to voters
throughout the election cycle and respond to voter questions with actionable information and
resources. Partnering with community agencies and county party organizations will amplify
accurate and timely information.
•
Newsletter – The monthly Just the Facts newsletter will continue 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, Maricopa County Elections will engage the public through video
content, public forums, events, tours and more.
•
Maricopa Votes - This virtual series creates a visual platform for election experts to highlight
topics like recruitment and training, early voting, in-person voting, and tabulation. The
combination of spokespeople and computer animation will allow the county to explain complex
topics in a concise manner that is easy to understand. All content will be available in English and
Spanish.
•
Tours –Tours of the Maricopa County Elections and Tabulation Center will present accurate
information about early voting, signature verification, the life of the ballot, controls and
documentation, and the checks and balances of the system to interested parties.
•
Community Events & Presentations – Maricopa Elections will maximize community outreach and
education to leverage community events that will engage, educate and inform eligible voters
about elections. 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.
Outreach staff will reach out to community organizations with the offer to provide in-person and
virtual presentations about the election process.
•
Student Election Program –The Student Election 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
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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, Maricopa County Elections will stand up a communications command
center to respond to the public quickly and accurately and provide accurate election information. Staff in
the center will interact with voters and members of the public via social media, respond to voters by
phone and email, and engage with journalists. The communications command center is located at MCTEC
and staffed by Maricopa County Elections and Recorder’s Office communications staff. In addition, county
communicators will support this command center on Election Days to help meet the increased demand
from voters.
3.2.7 - 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 increase staff to reduce wait times to speak to a live agent. Additionally, they
are collaborating with the Maricopa County Elections 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, Maricopa County Election’s staff members have been trained to support when needed.
3.2.8 - 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 Maricopa County
Elections. For 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 the
County is taking to address the issue. The media also aids in the dissemination of the crisis
communication message. A 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:
•
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)
•
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office
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•
Others may participate based on the specific incident
The Crisis Communication Team will implement some, or all 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. Determine an 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.
2. Notify Key Audiences – The Crisis Communications Team will decide which groups need to be
informed first. Audiences could include:
•
Voters
•
Poll Workers
•
Maricopa County Elections 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. Develop 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. Inform 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. Alert 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.
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7. Monitor 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, communications is developed in a collaborative
way, but we recognize the need for decisive decision-making during a crisis to enable rapid,
accurate communication and will determine on a case-by-case scenario, how to involve the
appropriate members of the Crisis Communications Team.
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4.0 – Staffing Plan
Maricopa County Elections 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 Maricopa
County Elections for voters, and voters expect election services to be secure and efficient. Our process
begins with recruiting adequate numbers of staff for 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 election 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 2024 July Primary and November 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 2024 elections considers the hiring landscape with record low unemployment
and increasing inflation levels. The Recruitment team faces challenges in hiring a qualified and capable
workforce needed to support a successful election and ensure bipartisan representation is involved in 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
of the 2024 Primary Election
•
Revamping Maricopa County Elections GetInvolved.Maricopa.Vote webpage to inform 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 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 Maricopa County
Elections GetInvolved.Maricopa.Vote webpage and dedicated recruitment email inbox
•
Increasing the number of Poll Workers at voting locations to proactively address turnover that may
occur and to ensure coverage in larger spaces
•
Providing incentive pay for poll worker and central count temporary to increase hourly pay rates.
•
Providing a pathway for Temporary employees and Poll Workers who serve in the July Primary to
work in the November General Election.
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Recruitment for thePrimary Electionwill be performed in four phases. Temporary workers are hired to work
both elections. Each hiring phase and the timeframe of the phases are described below.
•
Phase 1 (Month of April 2024) – Maricopa County Elections will work to hire 10 additional
Temporary Recruiters to augment the Recruitment team. Six Temporary Recruiters will support the
recruitment efforts of temporary workers at the Central Tabulation Center in Phase 2. Four
additional Temporary Recruiters will support full-time staff and current temporary recruiters in
facilitating Phase 3 recruitment efforts. Recruitment will recruit six additional Temporary Training
Coordinators to assist with training operations.
•
Phase 2 (Week of April 15, 2024) – Begin hiring 482 temporary workers to support elections
operations: T-Techs, Couriers, Drivers, Signature Verification, Special Elections Boards, Ballot
Processors, Tabulation Staff, Milos Clerks, Office Assistants, Warehouse, Training and Recruitment
support.
•
Phase 3 (Week of April 22, 2024) – Begin hiring 2,240 Poll Workers to staff approximately 220
polling locations. Most locations will be staffed by 10 Poll Workers including one Inspector, two
Judges, a Marshal, a Voter Registration Clerk, and five 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 11 Poll Workers,
adding an additional clerk position 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.
•
Phase 4 (Week of May 20, 2024) – 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), and Early Ballot Drop off counters to assist on Election night at vote
centers.
General Election hiring phases are as follows.
•
Phase 1 (Week of August 19, 2024) – Begin hiring approximately 600 temporary workers to support
elections operations: T-Techs, Couriers, Drivers, Signature Verification, Special Elections Boards,
Ballot Processors, Tabulation Staff, Milos Clerks, Office Assistants, Warehouse, Training and
Recruitment support. Temporary workers that worked the Primary election will be given the
priority to return and work the General Election.
•
Phase 2 (Week of August 19, 2024) – Begin hiring 2,400 Poll Workers to staff approximately 235
polling locations. Most locations will be staffed by 10 Poll Workers including one Inspector, two
Judges, a Marshal, a Voter Registration Clerk, and five 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 11 Poll Workers,
adding an additional clerk position 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.
27 | P a g e
•
Phase 4 (Week of September 16, 2024) – 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), and Early Ballot Drop off counters to assist on
Election night at vote centers.
Recruiters will rely on a variety of resources to obtain the necessary number of workers for the 2024
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 Recruitment Team 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 Central Tabulation Center will be processed for
background checks for new hires or rehires with Maricopa County Elections.
The Election’s recruitment and training teams will 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 options 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. See table on the next page for the Primary Election hiring needs by position. The General
28 | P a g e
Election hiring needs will be determined post the Primary Election. A separate addendum to this document
with the General Election hiring plan will be published in early September 2024.
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 Vote
2024 Primary Election Hiring
Role
Total
Pay Rate/hour
Temporary Recruiters
16
$21.00
Temporary Training Coordinators
9
$21.00
Inspectors
224
$16.50
Judges
448
$14.50
Voter Registration Clerks
224
$14.50
Marshals
224
$14.50
Clerks
1110
$14.50
Temporary Troubleshooters
50
$17.00
Temporary MILOS Clerks
4
$17.00
Temporary Ballot Processors
52
$16.00
Temporary Signature Verification Clerks
25
$17.00
Temporary Flagging Clerk
4
$17.00
Temporary Special Election Boards
20
$16.00
Temporary Ballot Curing Clerks
9
$16.00
Temporary Mail Clerks
3
$16.00
Temporary Mail Couriers
1
$18.00
Temporary Adjudication Clerks
70
$16.00
Temporary Ballot Tabulation Center (BTC) Duplication
8
$16.00
Temporary BTC Tabulator/Operators
12
$16.00
Temporary BTC Inspector
7
$16.00
Temporary BTC Floaters
4
$16.00
Temporary Office Assistant
2
$16.50
Temporary Ballot Couriers
64
$18.00
Temporary Warehouse Drivers
58
$19.00
Temporary T-Techs
80
$19.00
Temporary Hotline Reps
31
$16.00
Temporary IT Techs
3
$20.00
County Employee Support (Election Night)
800
Varies
Total
3,562
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Center. This staffing model also allows us to overcome an absenteeism rate of 30-40%. We also work with
the County and Elections budget departments 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 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.
Temporary Special Election
Board
The Special Election Board is responsible for assisting voters that are confined due to
illness or a disability. Board workers partner and travel with a team member from a
different political party to facilitate voting services.
Temporary Curing Clerk
Utilize proprietary Elections software to view signature files and verify voter signatures on
affidavit envelopes. Outreach to voters primarily via telephone to verify identity on EV
affidavit envelopes and explain simple processes. Perform general office duties including
data entry, email communications to voters, mail sorting, filing, and other duties as
needed
Temporary Mail Clerk
The Mail Room Clerk is responsible for securely transporting, organizing, and delivering
election mail. Clerks must be able to handle high volumes of time-sensitive tasks with
attention to detail. Additional duties include operating semi-automated machinery.
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 Adjudication/
Duplication Clerk
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 Ballot
Tabulation Center (BTC)
Tabulator/Operator
The Ballot Tabulation Center Operator tabulates ballots using semi-automated
machinery, maintains records, and prepares ballots for storage. The ideal candidate must
be organized, attentive to detail and work well with others.
Temporary BTC Inspector
The Ballot Tabulation Inspector oversees decisions made by bipartisan adjudication teams.
The BTC Inspector must be registered to vote as an Independent or be unaffiliated to any
party. Applicants must be attentive to detail and work well with others.
Temporary Office Assistant
The Temporary Office Assistant for the Candidate Services division will assist with
candidate filing for County candidates. This includes providing customer service, checking
in guests, and scheduling appointments. The Office Assistant will support the candidate
filing process by accepting paperwork, checking forms for completion, and maintaining
organized files of accepted forms.
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
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Job Title
Responsibilities
checking equipment in and out, lifting and stacking inventory, and general warehouse
maintenance.
Temporary T-Tech
The T-Tech is responsible for the set-up of computer hardware and software
at voting locations. The T-Tech works closely with support staff to ensure
that all equipment is functioning properly and helps to troubleshoot issues.
Temporary Hotline Rep
Hotline Reps 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 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.
Temporary Special Election
Board
The Special Election Board is responsible for assisting voters that are confined due to
illness or a disability. Board workers partner and travel with a team member from a
different political party to facilitate voting services.
Temporary Curing Clerk
Utilize proprietary Elections software to view signature files and verify voter signatures on
affidavit envelopes. Outreach to voters primarily via telephone to verify identity on EV
affidavit envelopes and explain simple processes. Perform general office duties including
data entry, email communications to voters, mail sorting, filing, and other duties as
needed
Temporary Mail Clerk
The Mail Room Clerk is responsible for securely transporting, organizing, and delivering
election mail. Clerks must be able to handle high volumes of time-sensitive tasks with
attention to detail. Additional duties include operating semi-automated machinery.
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.
County Employee Support
Maricopa County offers county employees civic duty leave and compensation to support
elections. This support includes working as poll workers at the vote center and also
providing truck drivers and vote center setup support. County employees are also hired
to assist on Election night with Vote Center closing procedures and serving as election
night receiving team members.
Maricopa County Elections 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 Elections to provide pay to Poll Workers in one lump
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sum at the completion of an election. Temporary Employees/Central Board Workers are paid
through the County’s Workday system.
•
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 A2310. Mileage Reimbursement forms are submitted
to County payroll for processing of reimbursements to temporary employees.
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. Elections 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
•
Live staffing updates showing recruitment status for each phase and position
•
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 Maricopa County Elections training plan for the 2024 Elections establishes the framework for ensuring
temporary staff (e.g., Poll Workers, Troubleshooters, MCTEC Temporary 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 Maricopa County Elections approach to providing specialized
training for the temporary workers that will support the 2024 Primary Election:
•
Approximately 2,200 2,500 Poll Workers will staff 220 - 235 voting locations to serve as Inspectors,
Judges, Marshals, Voter Registration Clerks, and Clerks.
•
Approximately 60 Troubleshooters will receive training from both the Poll Worker curriculum as
well as curriculum identified by the Training Manager focusing on more complex issues related to
voting equipment
•
Approximately 450 - 600 MCTEC Temporary Workers 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, Maricopa County Elections “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 Poll Worker training plan for the Primary Election will be to provide training with these specific
objectives:
•
Establish a training curriculum
o Design training curriculum to deliver 50% of training online via learning management
system.
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 Maricopa County
Elections 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.
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o Training will be offered over the course of six weeks, six days a week, two sessions a day
and will include weekend and evening options.
o Additional training in the form of Inspector Workshops will be offered to Inspectors to
ensure they are aware of changes and prepared to lead a voting location.
5.2 – MCTEC Temporary Worker Training Approach & Strategy
Maricopa County Elections' MCTEC Temporary 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 Maricopa County Elections 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 Maricopa County Elections’ training product is the Premium Poll Worker Inspector training
course. The goal of Maricopa County Elections 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. To become a Certified Premium Poll Worker Inspector, a passing score of 80% must be achieved
on two assessments to earn the recognition of Certified Premium Poll Worker Inspector. The new course
was introduced in July of 2021 and was updated during the 2023 calendar year.
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 December 1, 2023, we have completed 37 Premium Poll Worker two-day courses with 534 poll
workers successfully completing the course and assessments. Bipartisan representation is critical to the
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success of Maricopa County Elections, and we have ensured a balanced number of Democrats, Republicans,
and other registered voters as attendees. The number of attendees as of December 1, 2023, based on
political party registration status is shown below.
•
206 Republican Party
•
210 Democratic Party
•
118 Other (Independent, Party Not Declared, Libertarian Party)
5.3.2 – 2024 Poll Worker Training
Voters expect Maricopa County Elections 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. For the Primary
Election, Maricopa County Elections will hire and train approximately 2,240 staff to work at approximately
224 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. Maricopa County Elections
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. Maricopa County Elections 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 used 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.
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 seven 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 three 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.
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2024 Primary Election Training Dates
Training Dates
Key Election Dates
Sessions
Seats
June 17 – June 22, 2024
18
300
June 24 – June 29, 2024
32
530
July 1 – July 6, 2024
E-27 (July 3)
31
520
July 8 – July 13, 2024
28
450
July 15 – July 20, 2024
E-11 (July 19)
34
550
July 22 – July 27, 2022
30
490
July 30, 2024
Election Day
0
0
Total Sessions / Seats 173
2,840
General Election training dates will be determined after the Primary Election, but the first classes will begin
the week of September 23, 2024 and continue through November 1, 2024. A separate addendum to this
document with the General Election training plan will be published in early September 2024.
Maricopa County Elections 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, central and east valley. Many of our learners will have
the opportunity to train and practice using election equipment in a facility that has been outfitted as a Vote
Center. 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 the 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,
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 67)
•
Review and hands-on training setting up, using, and breaking down Polling Equipment including
BOD, Accessible Voting Device, Tabulator, SiteBook, and Voting Booths
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•
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, 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 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
5.3.3 – 2022 Logistics and Warehouse and Technical Support Staff Training
In most cases, Maricopa County Elections 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
Maricopa County Elections 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 set up a voting location.
They spend this week in training, attending poll worker training and participating in job specific training.
Training begins with attending a Maricopa County’s Driver Safety course. The Set-Up team members also
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
hands-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
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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
Maricopa County Elections 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:
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6.0 –Early Voting Plan
The Recorder’s Office Early Voting Plan will ensure that voters have access to a reliable and secure early
voting process for the July 30 Primary and November 5 General Elections of 2024. This plan serves to ensure
that the Recorder’s Office and the Board of Supervisors provide voters with a reliable, secure, and
accessible Voter Registration and Early Voting process for these Elections. This plan, approved by the
Maricopa County Recorder, provides Maricopa County voters and key stakeholders information related to
Voter Registration and Early Voting activities with the goal of increased transparency.
6.1 Voter Registration and Eligibility
The Recorder’s Office is the custodian of the County’s voter registration database and is committed to
educating voters about the registration process and eligibility rules. The voter registration deadline is 29
days prior to a given election. Voters must register to vote on or before July 1, 2024, to participate in the
July 30 Primary Election and on or before October 7, 2024, to participate in the November 5 General
Election. All changes to a voter’s political party must also be made prior to the July 1, 2024, deadline to
receive the appropriate partisan primary ballot.
All Arizona voters are eligible to vote in the July 30 Primary Election. However, voters who are not registered
with a recognized political party (e.g., “independents”) must choose either a Republican, Democrat, or non-
partisan primary ballot. These voters can make that selection up until Election Day, including at the polls.
These voters may also participate in early voting at the polls. Unaffiliated/Independent voters who wish to
participate in the Primary Election via the mail must notify the Recorder's Office of their ballot selection by
July 19, before 5:00 p.m. in order to have a ballot mailed. Note that unaffiliated/independent voters may
only select either a Republican, Democrat, or the Non-Partisan “City/Town Only” ballot - All voters on the
Active Early Voting List (AEVL) were sent a 90-day notice on May 1 to confirm their address. In that mailing,
voters who are not registered with a political party were notified of the option to select a ballot if they
choose to participate in the July Primary Election (see Section 6.4.2 for more details).
6.2 Early Voting Approach and Strategy
A significant majority of Maricopa County voters – of all political parties – vote by early ballot. In recent
elections, early voting constituted between 82% to 92% of the total votes cast.
The Recorder’s Office oversees the following early voting programs and processes:
•
Early Ballot Request (Active Early Voting List and One-time Requests)
•
Ninety-Day Notification Mailers
•
Printing and Mailing of Early Ballot Packets
•
Mail Pick-ups and Drop-offs
•
Signature Verification and Curing
•
Early Ballot Processing
•
Special Programs/Processes: Military and Overseas Voters (UOCAVA), Special Election
Boards, Provisional Ballot Processing, Serving Pre-trial Detainees
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6.3 Key Dates
JULY 30 PRIMARY ELECTION KEY “EARLY VOTING” DATES
Date
Description
May 1, 2024
-Mail 90-Day Cards to AEVL Voters and Begin Accepting Early Ballot Requests
June 15, 2024
-Last Day to Send Ballots to Military and Overseas Voters
July 3, 2024
-Early Voting In-person and Mail Begins
July 19, 2024
-Last Day to Request an Early Ballot by Mail, by 5:00 p.m.
July 23, 2024
-Recommended Date to Return Ballot by Mail – in order for it to be received by
the 7:00 p.m. Election Day Deadline
July 26, 2024
-Early Voting In-Person Ends, at 7:00 p.m.
July 30, 2024
-Primary Election Day
NOVEMBER 5 GENERAL ELECTION KEY “EARLY VOTING” DATES
Date
Description
September 21, 2024
-Last Day to Send Ballots to Military and Overseas Voters
October 9, 2024
-Early Voting In-person and Mail Begins
October 25, 2024
-Last Day to Request an Early Ballot by Mail, by 5:00 p.m.
October 29, 2024
-Recommended Date to Return Ballot by Mail – in order for it to be received by
the 7:00 p.m. Election Day Deadline
November 1, 2024
-Early Voting In-Person Ends at 7:00 p.m.
November 5, 2024
-General Election Day
6.4 – Early Voting Processes and Programs
6.4.1 - “No Excuse” Early Voting
Arizona law allows “no excuse” early voting. This voting option is frequently referred to as “Early Voting”
or “Vote-By-Mail.” Historically, and in increasing numbers over the years, Maricopa County voters choose
to vote by early ballot. After the 2008 adoption of the Permanent Early Voting List (since amended to be
called the Active Early Voting List), early voting increased substantially. As an example, in the November
2020 and 2022 General Elections, 83.94% to 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 Early Voting.
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6.4.2 – Requesting an Early Ballot and 90-Day Cards
Maricopa County’s voters historically vote early by mail in large numbers. Currently, 78% of all active voters
are on the Active Early Voting List (AEVL) and are sent ballots by mail automatically for each election in
which they are eligible to participate. In recent countywide and federal elections, voters on the AEVL
turnout to vote in proportionately larger numbers than those voters who are not on the AEVL, traditionally,
making up a larger percentage of the overall votes cast.
The Recorder’s Office and the Board of Supervisors want to ensure all voters are aware of their voting
options. Whether the voter decides to vote by mail or in-person, our goal is to provide information to
accommodate their choices. Voters who are not part of AEVL may request a one-time early ballot to be
sent by mail by visiting BeBallotReady.Vote, VoterInfo@RISC.Maricopa.Gov, or Request.Maricopa.Vote, or
by contacting the Recorder’s Office at (602) 506-1511.
One-time requests for an early ballot must be received by the Recorder’s Office no later than 5:00 p.m. on
the second Friday prior to an election (July 19 for the Primary Election and October 25 for the General
Election). Voters not on AEVL may also choose to vote in person during the early voting period or on Election
Day. In addition, for this July 30 Primary Election, unaffiliated or independent voters can participate. Arizona
has an open Primary Election, and this means that a voter registered without a party preference can cast a
ballot but will need to select a ballot. These voters may choose from the following:
In addition to traditional ballot-by-mail options, Maricopa County provides voters with other early voting
choices. Voters may request the following by emailing: SEB@RISC.Maricopa.Gov or calling (602) 506-1511:
•
Braille ballots
•
Large Print 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 consist 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.
Whether the voter opts to vote by mail or in-person, Maricopa County provides safe, reliable, secure, and
accessible choices to voters.
Ninety-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 ninety (90) days prior to the July 30 Primary Election. The Recorder’s Office
sent this mailing on May 1, 2024, to all registered voters on the AEVL. These cards serve several purposes
including:
•
Confirmation that the voter still resides at the address;
•
Opportunity for voters to update information as necessary;
•
Reminder that voter may request a temporary mailing address for the ballot;
•
Opportunity for voter to be removed from the Active Early Voting List;
•
Option for voter to elect not to receive a ballot by mail for the upcoming elections.
AEVL voters not registered with a recognized party that want to participate in the July 30 Primary may use
the ninety-day notice received to make their ballot selection or request online at: BeBallotReady.Vote or
Request.Maricopa.Vote, VoterInfo@RISC.Maricopa.Gov, or by contacting the Recorder’s Office at (602)
506-1511.
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SAMPLE OF NINETY-DAY (90) NOTICE – FOR AEVL VOTERS NOT REGISTERED WITH A PARTY:
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SAMPLE NINETY-DAY (90) NOTICE – FOR AEVL VOTERS REGISTERED WITH A RECOGNIZED PARTY:
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6.4.3 – Early Ballot Security and Tracking
Voting by mail in Arizona and Maricopa County is secure and verifiable. The Recorder’s Office and the Board
of Supervisors have internal controls and tracking methods for ballot security. These security measures
include:
• ONLY REGISTERED VOTERS CAN REQUEST A BALLOT: State law requires that the Recorder’s Office
check the voter registration record against vital records and numerous other governmental databases
prior to mailing a ballot to a voter. These checks verify the registration status of the voter and ensure
that the correct ballot is sent to the correct voter.
• VERIFICATION STARTS NINETY (90) DAYS BEFORE AN ELECTION: State law requires the Recorder’s
Office to mail notices to all voters on the Active Early Voting List ninety (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 voters the opportunity to update their records if necessary. After reconciling voter
records, the Recorder’s Office mails ballots twenty-seven (27) days prior to Election Day.
• CHAIN OF CUSTODY AND INTELLIGENT BARCODE TRACKER: Every mailed ballot is tracked upon
delivery and receipt with a unique, intelligent mail barcode. Once the ballot is returned, there is a robust
set of chain of custody documents that track all early ballots as they progress through each step of the
process, finalizing at tabulation. The combination of the unique barcode and these chain-of-custody
documents ensures the integrity and security of the early ballot.
• ALL AFFIDAVIT ENVELOPES ARE SIGNATURE VERIFIED: All signatures are compared by highly trained
staff against known signatures in the official voter registration record, including registration forms,
verified affidavit signatures from prior elections, and past in-person check-in signatures. The signature
verification process has multi-level checks (including a 2% audit of all signatures) to ensure that only
ballot affidavit envelopes with valid signatures are advanced. Voters with questionable signatures are
contacted by the Recorder’s Office and have five business days after this election to confirm their
signatures.
• ONLY VERIFIED BALLOTS ARE COUNTED: Once the signature is verified, the return affidavit
envelope is opened by a bipartisan board, the ballot is checked for damage, and, after other controls,
ultimately sent to tabulation. All uncounted ballots (e.g., no signature and uncured, questioned
signatures) are tracked and reported in the official canvass.
Since every ballot packet is affixed with a unique barcode specifically assigned to a given voter, voters may
track when their ballot packet is mailed, when the ballot packet is received, once the ballot affidavit
envelope is signature verified, and when the ballot has been processed and sent to be counted. To sign up
for this alert, voters can text: “JOIN” to 628-683 or sign up online at: BeBallotReady.Vote.
6.4.4 - Printing and Mailing of Early Ballot Packets
The Recorder’s Office will prepare to serve upwards of 1.9 million eligible Active Early Voter List voters for
these upcoming elections.
All early ballot packets include: a carrier envelope, the ballot, an early ballot affidavit envelope, and voter
instructions. These packets are assembled at Runbeck Election Services (“Runbeck”). Runbeck has state-
of-the-art security as well as fire detection and suppression systems. Runbeck has partnered with Maricopa
County for over 20 years and is utilized by counties all throughout the United States.
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Arizona Revised Statute §16-545 requires placement of the following language on the Early Voting Carrier
Envelope: “If the addressee does not reside at this address, mark the unopened envelope ‘return to sender’
and deposit in the United States mail.” Voters can assist the Recorder’s Office in maintaining accurate voter
registration rolls by adhering to this directive. The U.S. Post Office approved the placement of this language
on the outside of the envelope and provided assurances that it will not negatively impact delivery of the
early ballot packet.
Additionally, Arizona Revised Statute §16-513 requires that the early ballot instructions include the
following language: “A person may only handle or return their own ballot or the ballot of family members,
household members, or person for whom they are a caregiver. It is unlawful under section 16-1005 to handle
or return the ballot of any other person.”
6.4.5 - Ballot Flagging
State law requires early ballot requests to be flagged and fulfilled promptly. Both permanent and temporary
staff fulfill this role. Staff members are also tasked with verifying the signatures of returned early ballot
affidavits and contacting voters in an attempt to “cure” any questionable or missing signatures. This work
takes place across the twenty-seven-day (27) early voting period and continues after the election for all
early ballots received by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.
The Ballot Flagging team also manages the processing of ninety-day (90) notice cards, adding/removing
voters from AEVL, voiding/reissuing ballots, processing temporary address requests, taking one-time ballot
requests, and adding or removing “opt-out of election” requests for ballots from voters.
6.4.6 - UOCAVA Program
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) program provides military personnel
(domestic and stationed abroad) and eligible overseas voters (temporarily or indefinitely) extra time to
receive and return their ballots. As required by federal law, the Recorder’s Office mails or otherwise delivers
ballots forty-five (45) days before the election. These voters have options to return their ballots and signed
affidavits to the Recorder’s Office through a secure portal, or by fax, mail, or email. All UOCAVA ballots
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must still undergo signature verification like a traditional early ballot and must be received by the
Recorder’s Office by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.
6.4.7 - Mail Delivery Pick-ups and Drop-offs
The Recorder’s Office securely handles all ballots and utilizes chain of custody documentation for all
returned ballots at all stages. At regular intervals, a two-member bipartisan team picks up the mail from a
secure USPS location and delivers it in batches to Runbeck. The transfer is documented using a chain-of-
custody transfer slip that is signed by Recorder’s Office and Runbeck staff.
Upon delivery of the sealed early ballot affidavits, Runbeck conducts an inbound scan of the affidavit
envelope to capture a digital binary image of each voter’s signature from the packet and places those
images into an automated batch system for the Recorder’s Office staff review. To ensure all ballots are
accounted for, the batch system is continuously audited and is validated by Recorder’s Office staff and
bipartisan Citizen Boards through audit tray reports that accompany every batch. These audit tray reports
are also used by early ballot processing boards (See 6.4.9 Bipartisan Ballot Processing Boards).
After the initial inbound scan, Runbeck stores the unopened ballot packets at its facility in a secure, water
and fireproof vault, while the Recorder’s Office staff reviews the digital images of voter affidavit signatures
– thus eliminating the need to handle the actual physical ballot packet multiple times.
6.4.8 - Signature Verification and Curing
Maricopa County utilizes a multi-level signature verification process, conducted only by humans, to review
100% of all signatures on all mail-in ballots. Staff at the Recorder’s Office will compare the digital image of
the signature on the affidavit envelope with the voter’s verified, historical signatures. These historical
signatures – the voter’s voter registration record – may include voter registration forms, in-person roster
signatures, and previously verified early voting affidavits from prior elections.
To complete signature verification and curing, the Recorder’s Office will hire upwards of forty-five (45)
temporary staff members and will utilize over ninety (90) permanent staff members. All staff are trained
by nationally known signature verification experts. Party observers will be invited to watch signature
verification and curing. In addition, a 24/7 livestream of MCTEC staff will be available at:
Elections.Maricopa.Gov.
There are two levels of signature verification review. Both levels are audited. During the first level review,
staff members are trained to identify broad and local characteristics of the signature and compare it to up
to three (3) previously verified signatures held in the voter record. In this first review, staff can only select
one of the following two options:
1) Approve the signature (when a signature is consistent with others in the record); or
2) Mark the signature as an “exception” (when a signature is inconsistent).
Signatures marked as an “exception,” are assigned to a manager, who has received additional rigorous
training and has access to review all signatures on the voter’s record. Dispositions at the manager level
include the following options: “good signature,” “no signature,” “questionable signature,” “need packet,”
“deceased,” and “household exchange.”
All signatures are subject to a two percent (2%) randomized sample audit. After signatures are reviewed
and the audit is complete, disposition codes are sent to Runbeck. Runbeck scans and sorts all ballot affidavit
packets according to their disposition codes. Those packets are placed into trays for pickup and transport
to MCTEC.
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Audit reports accompany all affidavit packet batches. A bipartisan team of two Recorder’s Office staff
members retrieve the batches from Runbeck and transport them to MCTEC for processing and tabulation
or curing. Upon arrival at MCTEC, the batched trays are distributed based on the dispositions made during
signature verification.
The affidavit envelopes with verified good signatures go to bipartisan ballot processing boards. The
affidavit envelopes with no signatures, questionable signatures, need packet, deceased, and household
exchange dispositions will remain sealed and are delivered to the signature verification/ballot flagging team
for research and curing. The audit report follows all batches and is signed by both the delivering and
receiving teams to account for all ballots.
State law requires the County Recorder to make a meaningful attempt to contact voters when their
signatures cannot be verified. The Recorder’s signature verification and flagging teams are responsible for
performing all curing activities. For the Primary and General Elections, current state law allows the voter
five calendar days following the election to verify a questionable signature and gives voters until 7:00 p.m.
on Election Day 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 on the affidavit.
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, the voter’s response, the date of the
contact, and the initials of the staff member engaging in the outreach.
Voters have multiple options to cure a questionable signature, including verifying their identity via phone,
visiting the Recorder’s Office in person, or using a secure text feature. The TXT2Cure platform provides a
secure option to facilitate curing by requiring users to verify submission of a signed ballot affidavit, provide
an electronic signature attesting to such, and submit an image of photo identification with an Arizona
address (AZ Driver License or AZ State Issued Identification). Once a voter verifies or “cures” a signature, a
“Verified and Approved – MCTEC” stamp will be placed on the affidavit envelope and the packet will be
sent to ballot processing. The packets containing questionable signatures that are not cured by the deadline
remain sealed and are reported on the official canvass as either “rejects” or as “bad” signatures.
Voters who notify the Recorder’s Office that they did not mail or sign an affidavit envelope will have their
matters immediately reported to a supervisor. The supervisor will research the case. Any cases categorized
as “suspected voter fraud” will be referred to law enforcement for investigation. Voters who forgot to sign
their packets may sign the original packet or may choose to vote in person. If the voter chooses to vote in
person, the original, unsigned packet is automatically voided in the system and cannot be counted. The
packets containing no signature that are not cured by the deadline remain sealed and are reported on the
official canvass as “no signature.”
6.4.9 – Bipartisan Ballot Processing
All early voting packets deemed to have good signatures are sent to bipartisan, two-member processing
boards. For these elections, three (3) permanent staff members will manage upwards of one-hundred-fifty
(150) bipartisan, two-member boards (working in split shifts, as needed). The Recorder’s Office anticipates
processing 65,000 ballots per eight-hour shift, expanded to two-shifts when needed, doubling capacity and
throughput. Upon separating the ballot from the affidavit envelope, the bipartisan board makes sure the
ballot is of the correct style and is undamaged. Damaged ballots are documented and sent to a bipartisan
duplication board. Undamaged ballots are logged and transported to quality control for an additional audit
of the paperwork before transferring custody of the ballots to the Board of Supervisors for tabulation.
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Early ballot processing requires attention to detail and the methodical separation of the ballot from these
affidavit envelopes to ensure, as required, that every ballot is anonymous when tabulated. Party observers
are invited and encouraged to watch the process, and a 24/7 livestream is available at:
Elections.Maricopa.Gov.
To follow is a floorplan that illustrates the functional areas and shows a typical room setup maximizing the
use of the space by allowing materials to move securely and efficiently through each area. Additionally,
there will be designated staging and secured caged areas for unprocessed and processed ballot trays.
Finally, a quality control station, bipartisan board worktables, processed ballots awaiting transfer to BTC,
and empty affidavit envelope staging will also occur in this room.
SECURITY CAGE
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6.4.10 - Election Day Deadline
Pursuant to state law, all ballots must be received by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. The U.S. Postal Service
recommends that voters return their ballot affidavit envelopes at least seven (7) calendar days before
Election Day to guarantee timely delivery. Ballots received after 7:00 p.m. on Election Day are not valid
and will not be counted, no matter their postmark date.
6.4.11 Special Election Boards
The Recorder’s Office administers a Special Election Boards (SEB) program, as outlined in Arizona law,
designed to assist individuals who are incapable of traveling to the polls and who do not choose to engage
in the Early Voting process. Through this program, a Special Election Board, made up of two individuals of
different political parties, will visit the voter in person to aid as directed by the voter. The types of voters
the SEB teams typically serve are those who live temporarily or permanently in nursing homes and
hospitals, and those who have disabilities or who cannot live independently. All voters visited by an SEB
must provide identification.
6.4.12 - Processing Provisional Ballots
As called for in Arizona law, provisional ballots allow all voters to participate in the voting process while
giving the Recorder’s Office extra time to determine if the voter is properly registered. Maricopa County
provides provisional ballots to voters who vote in-person but do not have the required identification, as
well as to voters whose eligibility is questioned. Most frequently, these voters are either not registered to
vote or registered after the deadline for the election in progress. The Recorder’s Office is responsible for
researching voter information for any provisional ballots cast and determining whether the voter is properly
registered and if the ballot should or should not be counted.
In person voters who do not provide sufficient identification are issued a conditional provisional ballot in
accordance with A.R.S. §16-579. These voters have five calendar days after Election Day to present the
required identification to validate their identities. Only if they are validated will their conditional provisional
ballot be counted.
6.4.13 - Serving Pre-Trial Detainees
Pretrial-detainees and other inmates in correctional facilities, whose voting rights are still intact, may
request that their ballots be mailed to the detention facility.
6.4.14 - Informed Delivery
The Recorder’s Office partners with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Informed Delivery. With Informed
Delivery, voters who sign up will receive a picture of mail pieces delivered each day, including the envelope
containing their early ballot. In accordance with Recorder Richer’s efforts to be fiscally responsible with
taxpayer dollars, the Office will apply for a potential 4% discount on postage.
In addition to Informed Delivery, voters who sign up for the Recorder’s “Ballot Status” subscription service
by texting JOIN to 628-683, and the (USPS) Informed Delivery service, will be able to track the life of their
ballot.
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6.4.15 - “I Voted” Stickers
The Recorder’s Office will distribute constituent designed “I Voted” stickers to voters that are on the AEVL,
request a one-time mail ballot or vote in-person.
The Recorder’s Office conducted an “I Voted” sticker contest asking the public to submit original designs.
Four were selected: two from a youth contest and two from an adult contest. The winning designs will be
added to four of Maricopa County's existing sticker designs.
After eight weeks, dozens of entries, and thousands of votes cast -- Maricopa County Recorder Stephen
Richer is proud to present the winners of the winning designs below:
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7.0 – Facilities and Logistics Plan
The Maricopa County Elections, Facilities and Logistics Plan for the 2024 Primary and General elections
establishes the framework for ensuring that Maricopa County voters have a safe, reliable, and accessible
in-person voting options 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 2024 elections. Facilities and logistics will offer in-person voting options at
approximately 220 - 235 geographically dispersed locations that are compliant with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). Throughout early voting and on Election Day, we will also be providing approximately
10 – 20 Dropbox-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 250 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 Primary and General elections
•
Acquiring, inspecting, setting up, and supporting Vote Centers
•
Preparing, packaging, securing, delivering, and recovering sufficient and fully functional supplies,
Personal Protective Equipment, 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 10), we determined
that between 220 n- 235 Vote Centers are needed for Primary and General elections taking place in 2024.
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
In-person voters can vote from any of 220 -235 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 three ballot-on-demand printers
and twenty-five 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. The layout diagram below provides 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.
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. To simplify printer deployment (e.g.,
setup, usage, and repair) the Facilities and Logistics division reduced the printer types from two brands
used in 2022 to a single brand in 2024. For the 2024 Election Cycle, Maricopa County will use the Lexmark
C4150 and C4352 printers for all sites. Through robust stress testing and usage during the November 2023
Jurisdictional and 2024 Presidential Preference Elections, we determined that these larger, more robust
ballot-on-demand printers are more reliable and better suited for Maricopa County’s Vote Center Model.
These printers have demonstrated excellent performance and excel at producing high quality ballots,
2024 Primary and General Election
Vote Center Default Layout
8 Check-in Stations 3 Ballot on Demand Printers
1 ICX Accessible Voting Device 2 ICP2 Tabulators
1 Drop Box 25+ Voting Booths
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envelopes, and receipts during intermittent printing and in high volume setting 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 can vote in-person or curbside if they choose. To
confirm usability and voter accessibility we review the following during our on-site inspections:
•
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 can 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 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
On the left side is 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. On the right side is the
new Lexmark C4352 which has the same
capability of the C4150 with a slightly
different look and configuration.
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•
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 helps
minimize voter confusion and duplication of efforts. Maricopa County Elections 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 division 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:
•
360 days: Maricopa County Elections 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 2024 elections.
•
150-60 days: The Facility and Logistics division signs Facility Use Agreements with 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 Facility and Logistics division will also be opening approximately 10-20 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 mailbox. Most drop box locations are placed in municipal centers such as city halls, public libraries.
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We send bipartisan courier teams to visit the locations daily 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 drivers, t-techs, warehouse workers and troubleshooters. Drivers will deliver the equipment
and supplies and perform the 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 SiteBooks and accessible voting
devices.
Set-ups are scheduled as early in the day as possible 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 if a failed set up occurs.
7.2.1 – Equipment and Supply Buildout
Maricopa County Elections 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
functionality and Quality Assurance checks are documented and provided to executive leadership. Yellow
and green bags include all 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 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.
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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 Facility and Logistics division 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. 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 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.
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8.0 – Tabulation and Central Count Plan
Maricopa County Election’s Tabulation plan for the 2024 Primary and 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 state and national 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 calendar days for the processing of provisional ballots and curing of inconsistent
signatures on early ballots (A.R.S. 16-550 and 16-584.D). For the Primary Election, our goal is to have 100%
of all valid ballots that did not need curing counted and reported by the end of day on the Monday after
the cure period ends on August 5, 2024.
For the General Election, our goal is to have 100% of all valid ballots that did not need curing counted and
reported by the end of day on the Thursday after the cure period ends on November 10, 2024.
8.1.1 – Efficiency
For the 2024 Primary and General elections, ballots will be counted by on-site Vote Center 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 or Emergency Vote Center.
On-Site Vote Center Tabulation
On-site tabulation occurs on Election Day as voters insert their ballot into a tabulator at any Vote Center.
Maricopa County Elections 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 10), we anticipate 13% - 18% of voters to cast their ballots on Election Day.
On Election Day during the Primary Election, we could see more than 122,000 ballots cast in-person and
another 140,000 early ballots dropped off on Election Day. On Election Day during the General Election,
we could see more than 395,000 ballots cast in-person and another 450,000 early ballots dropped off on
Election Day.
Central Count Based Tabulation
Our central count tabulators are capable of scanning and counting ballots much faster than our Vote Center
tabulators. We will use eight high-speed scanners (HiPro) and four to five central count (Canon) tabulators
for the Primary and General elections. Based on quantities achieved during previous election cycles, we
determined that we can count a total of 300,000 – 350,000 ballot pages per day during an 8-hour shift.
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Based on the turnout forecast completed in Section 2.0 (page 9), we anticipate total early (by mail and in-
person early) voter turnout to be between 623,000 to 776,000 for the Primary Election and 1.5 million and
1.7 million for the General Election. We use the higher estimates to make decisions on central count staffing
projections to ensure we can count ballots and report results timely.
Timeline
We will use eight high-speed scanners (HiPro), with the ability to scale up to an additional five central count
(Canon) tabulators. Using a single eight-hour-shift (six tabulation hours and 1 hour used for reconciliations),
a single high-speed scanner has the daily capacity to count approximately 35,000 – 45,000 ballots per-day.
These amounts indicate that it will require us between 2 - 3 days to count ballots for the Primary Election
and 10 – 11 days for the General Election if all ballots were received are ready when we begin counting.
However, we typically do not receive all ballots at once, and voters tend to return their ballots closer to
Election Day with a large amount expected on Election Day.
State statute allows us to start tabulating early ballots upon receipt and after the statutory required Logic
and Accuracy test is completed. We plan to begin tabulation on July 19, 2024 for the Primary Election and
October 23, 2024 for the General Election. We believe this will allow adequate time to complete tabulation
for all ballots, perform post logic an accuracy testing, and submit required reports to the Board of
Supervisors for the post-election canvass within the statutory required timeframes (Primary Election – 13
Days / General Election – 16 Days). See key tabulation dates in the tables below.
2024 PRIMARY ELECTION KEY DATES
Date
Description
June 25, 2024
Publish Primary Election Logic and Accuracy Test Notice (at least 48 hours
before test date)
~June 12 – 30, 2024
County Pre Logic and Accuracy Testing of all deployable and central County
Tabulation Equipment (political party appointees/observers invited)
July 2, 2024
Secretary of State’s Office Completes Logic and Accuracy Test
July 15, 2024
Start Tabulation, Adjudication, and Duplication for Primary Election
July 30, 2024
Election Day for Primary Election, Initial Results Posted at 8PM
July 31 – Aug. 9, 2024
Primary Election daily updates reported as needed
July 31, 2024
Hand Count Audit Draw (Hand Count August 3 & 4)
August 4, 2024
Deadline for Primary Election voters to cure signatures or conditional
provisional ballots
August 12, 2024
Deadline for Board Approval of Canvass
~August 12 - 26
Estimated time period if an automatic recount is trigged.
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2024 GENERAL ELECTION KEY DATES
Date
Description
September 30, 2024
Publish General Election Logic and Accuracy Test Notice (at least 48 hours
before test date)
~Sep. 18 – Oct. 6, 2024
County Pre Logic and Accuracy Testing of all deployable and central County
Tabulation Equipment (political party appointees/observers invited)
~October 7, 2024
Secretary of State’s Office Completes Logic and Accuracy Test
October 18, 2024
Start Tabulation, Adjudication, and Duplication for General Election
November 5, 2024
Election Day for General Election, Initial Results Posted at 8PM
~November 6 – 16,
2024
Primary Election daily updates reported as needed
November 6, 2024
Hand Count Audit Draw (Hand Count August 3 & 4)
November 10, 2026
Deadline for Primary Election voters to cure signatures or conditional
provisional ballots
November 21, 2024
Deadline for Board Approval of Canvass
~Nov. 21 – Dec. 10,
2024
Estimated time period if an automatic recount is trigged.
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.
Using adjudication rates from 2020 and 2022 Primary Elections, we estimate that approximately 10 percent
of ballots will require adjudication. Based on turnout forecasts, this would result in 77,000 ballots needing
to be duplicated or adjudicated. We are hiring sufficient staff to perform adjudication on 15,000- 25,000
ballots per day for this election. Considering the ballot only contains a single contest, we anticipate a short
per ballot adjudication time.
Based on General Election adjudication rates from 2020 and 2022 we estimate that the percent of ballots
requiring adjudication will range between 11 - 14%. Based on turnout forecasts, this would create a range
of 186,000 – 237,000 ballots that need to be duplicated or adjudicated for this Election. Based on the above
estimate, we are hiring sufficient staff to perform adjudication on 20,000- 30,000 ballots per day for this
election. Considering the ballot only contains a single contest, we anticipate a short per ballot adjudication
time.
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8.1.2 – 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 Primary and 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, Maricopa County Elections 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.
Maricopa County Elections also performs a logic and accuracy test on all voting equipment prior to each
election. The pre-tests are open to in-person observation by representatives of the political parties and
online streaming for representatives of the candidates, the press, and the public. Since this election involves
a federal office, the Secretary of State is also responsible for conducting an additional logic and accuracy
test on a selected sample of on-site tabulators and accessible voting equipment, and all central count voting
equipment (see A.R.S. § 16-449). The Secretary of State’s and County’s public Logic and Accuracy tests are
open to in-person observation by representatives of the candidates, the political parties, the press, and the
public at the central counting facility or via live broadcasts from our website.
The logic and accuracy test uses a set of pre-marked test ballots with a predetermined set of results to
verify that all equipment and the election management system (EMS) is accurately programed for the
specific election. The logic and accuracy test includes four parts: Accessible Equipment, Tabulation
Equipment (central & on-site), Adjudication, and Election Management System.
The accessible equipment is tested to confirm it complies with all statutory requirements for the given
election and provides voters with a voting experience as similar as possible to voting a standard ballot.
Additionally, ballots will be produced from the accessible equipment to be used in the next portion.
All of the central tabulation equipment will be tested for the Primary Election. The Secretary of State will
also test a sample of the on-site tabulation equipment, which will be followed by a county test of equipment
to be deployed to vote centers. All tabulation equipment will be tested to ensure it gives proper errors
messages when appropriate and accepts both pre-printed and Ballot-on-demand (BOD) printed ballots.
Several of the pre-marked ballots scanned will have been purposely marked to trigger adjudication. Ballots
will be sent to the adjudication stations where two team members will follow the standard adjudication
process.
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Following the conclusion of all other tests, reports are run to determine if votes attributed to candidates in
the election management system (EMS), are correct and accurately being counted, summarized, and
reported. The results from the test will be compared to the predetermined results to confirm the success
of the test.
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
Maricopa County Elections has 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 Ballot Tabulation Center (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 central count tabulation equipment is within the BTC, which requires authorized, elevated
badge access to enter. Only those whose jobs or oversight that 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 only a few of the most senior election officials have this access. The glass tabulation server
room is also live streamed on the County’s website and onsite security officers are monitoring who
comes in and out of the server room.
5. All ports on on-site tabulators, central count tabulation equipment, and adjudication/duplication
stations 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, On-Site 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: Maricopa County Elections 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 evidenced by
the air gapped network’s hard-wired lines which are visible through the glass windows into Maricopa
County’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 Maricopa
County’s Elections website.
Paper Ballots and Hand Count Audits
Maricopa County Elections 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,
Maricopa County Elections immediately secures and stores the actual original paper ballots by batch after
tabulation. The ballots are stored in multiple batches of 1 – 400 ballot pages 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.
In accordance with statute, 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 (see A.R.S. 16-602). 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 to their workspaces within 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), and political party observers. The
Election Director 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.
Maricopa County Elections 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 not taken the oath shall, under no circumstances, be
permitted to touch any ballot, computer, or counting device used in processing or tabulating ballots.
8.2 – Reporting Results and Canvass
Maricopa County Elections 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 approximately when the next post
will occur.
Maricopa County Elections 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;
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d. The number of votes for each candidate by Precinct in the county;
2. A Cumulative Official Final Report, which includes:
a. The total number of precincts;
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 district
e. The number of votes for and against each ballot measure by district, including a
designation of which choice received the highest number of votes;
8.3 – Automatic Recounts
In September 2022, a new state law (SB1008) went into effect increasing the likelihood of automatic
recounts after Primary and General elections. Arizona now requires there to be a recount of most election
contests in which the number of votes separating the two candidates with the greatest number of votes
(or the “yes” and “no” votes on a ballot measure) is less than or equal to a one-half percent.
Prior to the passage of SB1008, recounts in Arizona were infrequent and never in recent history had
multiple contests on the same ballot triggered a recount. The passage of this law significantly increases the
likelihood of a recount occurring on multiple contests in Arizona, as evidenced by the 2022 General Election
where recounts were automatically triggered in three contests (Attorney General, Superintendent of Public
Instruction, and State Representative from Legislative District 13).
Under current law (A.R.S. §§ 16-661, 16-663, 16-664), the recount is done using the electronic tabulation
equipment. There is also a required hand count audit of any recounts of legislative, statewide, and federal
contests. The hand count audit is conducted by representatives of the county political parties under the
oversight of the Elections Department. Elections Procedures Manual (“EPM”), Ch. 11, at 221.
In February 2024, a new law was passed (HB2785) that provided counties more time to complete the
automatic recounts. Based on the law, purchasing additional high speed tabulators, and reconfiguring the
tabulation center, we are confident that we can meet that statutory timeframes for conducting the
recounts while also meeting the federal deadlines for mailing ballots to military voters by September 21,
2024 and for certifying the election prior to the Electoral College deadline of December 11.
-
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9.0 – Risk Management and Contingency Plan
Maricopa County Election’s Risk Management and Contingency Plan for the 2024 Primary and General
elections establishes the procedures that will be followed in the event that a vote center 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 Maricopa County Elections will identify potential risks, develop strategies to mitigate
risks, and provide for the continuity of voting and tabulation on Election Day.
9.1 – 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 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 3.2.8, Page 22).
Voting Locations
If a single or small number of voting location(s) experiences an emergency, Maricopa CountyElections
communications staff 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. On Election
Day, Maricopa County is providing 220 - 235 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 to determine the operational
status of vote location(s) by the Facilities Acquisition Division. If the Assistant Director for Logistics finds
that the emergency will significantly or permanently close the location and if there is sufficient time, 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. Maricopa County Elections communications staff 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 3.28, page 22).
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If a location loses power, Maricopa Elections has backup generators, supplemental lighting, and other
emergency supplies that we will dispatch from the Supply Depots for quick response. Maricopa County
Elections 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 Maricopa County Elections. Replacement supplies and equipment
will be dispatched from one of three Supply Depot locations across the County.
Maricopa County Elections has addressed on-site contingencies with the use of 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, Maricopa
County will relocate the Tabulation Center to an offsite undisclosed location. 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 to relocate the Tabulation Center location, Maricopa County Elections’
employees assigned to work in election night activities will proceed to the relocation site. Maricopa County
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 offsite
location. The Recruitment & Training divisions 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 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 Poll Workers for each voting location. The hiring of extra Poll Workers will allow us to overcome an
absentee rate of 20-30%.
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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
Maricopa Elections 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.
9.2 – 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. 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.
9.3 – 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 3.28, page 20) the Director for In-Person Vote and Tabulation 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
•
U.S. Attorney’s Office
9.3.1 – Sheriff’s Support
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has assigned specific deputy officers to the Maricopa County Elections 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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10.0 – 2024 Primary and General Elections Plan Costs
On January 24, 2024, Maricopa County Elections and the Recorder’s Office presented the proposed budget
for the 2024 Primary and General Elections to the Board of Supervisors. The funding for each election is
paid from the County’s General Fund. The FY2025 budget request is summarized below. On 5/4,2024,
there were 2,381.214 registered voters in Maricopa County. With a total cost of $28 million, we estimate
that it will cost approximately $12 per voter to administer the 2024 Primary and General Elections.
2024 Primary and General Election Budget (Fiscal Year 2025)
Expenditure Description
Recorder
BOS Elections
Total
Staffing
Permanent Staff and Temporary Workers
$2,924,225
$4,845,665
Poll Workers and Central Boards
$0
$4,304,253
Hazard Pay/Retention Incentive
$128,563
$552,402
STAR Call Center Temps and Security Services
$849,852
$828,000
Mileage Reimbursement
$6,622
$91,516
Staffing Total
$14,531,099
Supplies and Services
Printing/Mailing/Postage Cost of Ballots/VR ID
Cards
$7,544,142
$2,289,018
Advertising
$700,000
$700,000
Translation Services
$0
$10,000
Fuel, Temporary Parking Lots, Shuttle Rentals,
Vehicle Rentals, Vote Cener Rentals
$0
$1,346,326
Vote Center Supplies, Consumables, Telecom-
radios, Other Supplies & Services
$164,302
$462,500
Supplies and Services Total
$13,265,788
Total Primary and General Budget (before
Contingency)
$27,796,887
Contingency – Reprints, change cards, operations
$523,648
$676,352
Total Primary and General Budget
(w/Contingency)
$12,890,855
$16,106,032
$28,996,887
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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 2024 Primary and 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