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U.S. Elections

Technical issues spark ballot counting concerns in Maricopa County, Arizona

Nov 08, 2022

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As ballots continue to come in on Election Day, technical issues in Arizona have been drawing scrutiny. Officials in Maricopa County reported problems with their ballot counting machines in the first few hours of Election Day. 

County officials said about 20% of locations in the county were having an issue with the tabulator and some of ballots were not going through. They said printer settings were the issue, and they advised voters to put their ballots in a secure box before the issue was fixed.

The technical issues stirred up social media. 

Some conservative figures called it “deliberate,” fueling conspiracies and lies about how ballots are counted. Others, like GOP candidate Kari Lake expressed frustration about the state’s voting system.

“This is incompetency, I hope it’s not malice,” Lake said, adding, “But we’re gonna fix it, we’re gonna win.”

Leading up to the election, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey found 45% of Republicans had little to no confidence that votes in the midterm elections will be counted accurately.

Experts say it’s not uncommon for machine malfunctions and other balloting problems to arise at election time and that the majority of people will cast their ballots as normal.

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AS BALLOTS CONTINUE TO COME IN THESE MIDTERM ELECTIONS TECHNICAL ISSUES IN ARIZONA ARE DRAWING A LOT OF SCRUTINY.

OFFICIALS IN MARICOPA COUNTY REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THEIR BALLOT COUNTING MACHINES IN THE FIRST FEW HOURS OF ELECTION DAY.

“WE’VE GOT ABOUT 20% OF THE LOCATIONS OUT THERE WHERE THERE’S AN ISSUE WITH THE TABULATOR WHERE SOME OF THE BALLOTS … NOT GOING THROUGH”.

OFFICIALS SAY THE PRINTER SETTINGS WERE THE ISSUE AND ADVISED VOTERS TO PUT THEIR BALLOTS IN A SECURE BOX BEFORE THE ISSUE WAS FIXED.

THAT STIRRED UP SOCIAL MEDIA, PROMINENT CONSERVATIVE FIGURES CALLING IT DELIBERATE FUELING CONSPIRACIES AND LIES ABOUT HOW BALLOTS ARE COUNTED.

OTHERS LIKE GOP CANDIDATE KARI LAKE SAYING: “THIS IS INCOMPETENCY.. I HOPE IT’S NOT MALICE. BUT WE’RE GONNA FIX IT WE’RE GONNA WIN”.

LEADING UP TO THE ELECTION, 45% OF REPUBLICANS ALREADY HAD LITTLE TO NO CONFIDENCE IN BALLOT COUNTING ACCORDING TO AN AP POLL.

IT’S NOT UNCOMMON FOR MACHINE MALFUNCTIONS AND OTHER BALLOTING PROBLEMS TO ARISE AT ELECTION TIME -ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS WHO SAY THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WILL CAST THEIR BALLOTS AS NORMAL.