The current ballot processing in Pima County is experiencing a slower pace than one might expect, according to Pima County Elections Director Constance Hargrove. Typically, the pace remains consistent with past elections; however, with the introduction of a two-card ballot this year, the daily number of ballots processed has effectively been halved. In a statement obtained by Pima County Newsroom, Hargrove explained, "We're keeping up, but the election boards are having to work longer hours than normal because of the two-card ballot."
During the previous election cycle, an average day included the processing of 30,000 ballots, equating to the same number of individual cards. With each ballot now consisting of two cards, this year processing 30,000 cards translates to only 15,000 ballots. This change not only impacts the quantity of processed ballots but also increases the possibility of tabulation machines rejecting ballots due to the more frequent instances of write-ins or accidental marks by voters that need review, as per the Pima County.
Sickness among members of the teams responsible for election logistics has exacerbated these challenges. After being struck by cases of flu and COVID-19, the count faced a brief processing board shortage — teams are composed of pairs of individuals from different political parties, with Independent voters being ineligible. Hargrove, facing the shortage, put out a call for more members. This surge in recruitment is anticipated to bolster the weekend processing capacity to between 15,000 to 20,000 ballots per day, Hargrove told Pima County.
The process is meticulous – workers need to carefully remove early ballots from their envelopes, inspect for defects, and manage those requiring additional scrutiny. Despite the two-card ballot doubling their workload, Hargrove remains optimistic. "We're going to count through the weekend and the holiday, and I expect we’ll be done with the bulk of the counting by Monday," she said. The remaining ballots, such as those with issues and provisional ones, will be addressed subsequently. It's business as usual despite the unique circumstances of this year's election, as mentioned by the Pima County.
Provisional ballots, often indicative of voters' attempts to transition between mail-in voting and in-person on Election Day, are processed last, ensuring no double votes are counted. Voters have until today, November 10, to address signature discrepancies for their ballots to be included. According to statistics from past elections provided by Hargrove, the counting wrapped on November 18 in 2022 and on November 16 in 2020, forecasting a similar timeline for this year's tally.