5 Takeaways from a Smooth Election Day in Arizona

Arizona saw relatively quiet voting day on Tuesdayexcept for technical problems and long lines in the northeastern part of the state.

Officials across the state were prepared for a busy day at the polls, with turnout roughly in line with previous estimates. Counties generally reported a steady stream of voters trickling through polling places throughout the morning, afternoon and evening.

Some jurisdictions required long, two-page ballots that election officials feared would take more time for voters to fill out at polling places and in lines. As expected, there was some anticipation throughout the day, especially as voters rushed to vote hours before polls closed.

However, lines were short for most of the day at all but a few polling places across the state. The few longer waits that did occur were mostly within one hour, as officials predicted.

Only one problem marred the calm election day. Apache County, located along the state’s northern and eastern borders with Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. there were problems with electronic survey books and printers on Tuesday morning. This led to long lines and disturbances from tribal members.

Here’s what you need to know about how the vote went and what it means for Arizona’s election landscape.

Poll log and printer problems found in Apache County

In Apache County, located in a rural area and several hours from metro Phoenix, voters register on electronic poll books, which then send the voter the correct ballot style to the on-demand ballot printers at each polling place.

The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office and Apache County officials confirmed in statements to The Arizona Republic that a technical glitch prevented the process Tuesday morning.

Voters were provided with emergency provisional ballots to use in the event of a problem. But some precincts have run out of those ballots, leaving voting dependent on accessible devices typically used by voters with disabilities. Voting continued slowly, but the issue left some Navajo Nation voters waiting in line for hours. Some gave up and left the polling stations.

“It’s chaos right now,” said Tim Hardy, a veteran and Navajo Nation voter who cast his ballot at the Fort Defiance chapterhouse after waiting in line for three hours. “They are way behind and the situation is getting worse.”

State and county officials said the problems were largely resolved by mid-afternoon, leaving voters several hours to cast their ballots before polls closed. But tribal officials said they were concerned that a technical glitch may have disenfranchised some voters.

They noted that Navajo Nation voters are particularly influential in Arizona’s top-ranked races. Nearly 5% of the state’s voting age population is Native American, and Native voters typically vote Democratic. When Native voters have high turnout, they can tip the race to the left.

As expected, some counties are seeing long lines.

Nine jurisdictions, including populous Maricopa and Pima counties, had two-sided, two-page ballots submitted on Election Day.

Officials across the state have repeatedly warned that this could lead to longer wait times, stuck cars and other problems. But statewide wait times were less than an hour in the morning and afternoon, even as a steady stream of voters trickled through polling places.

“Very, very short lines, which is great,” Maricopa County Executive Bill Gates said at a midday news conference.

Maricopa County Elections Director Scott Jarrett previously said he hired additional election workers, added new polling places, increased polling place capacity and made other changes to mitigate the impact of the long list. Officials also urged voters to consider early voting or at least do research on their ballots before arriving at the polls.

Officials in several election jurisdictions also prepared by contacting counties in other states that have experience administering multi-page ballots. Maricopa, Pima, Coconino and other counties shared the results of these discussions among themselves to coordinate efforts to minimize lines.

The queues quickly grew in the evening. In Maricopa County, lines at the busiest polling places lasted just over an hour. About two dozen polling places in Pima County had wait times of more than 20 minutes.

But even at the busiest polling places, poll workers and voters generally reported voting went smoothly. Jacob Gerhard, a 23-year-old Mesa resident, said his vote took about two hours in total, from queuing to casting his ballot.

“It’s a long time coming, but I knew I had to come and do it,” he said. “I think it’s just people taking their time and re-reading everything.”

No credible threats reported statewide

Voters headed to the polls on Tuesday in an electoral situation irrevocably altered by false claims of stolen races. Four years after former President Donald Trump lost the state and election rejection took root, officials continue to see threats, protests and harassment.

However, on Election Day, voting at polling places across the state took place without incident. Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner said there were “no significant public safety concerns” as of Tuesday afternoon.

Officials previously sought to reassure voters of their preparedness to respond to any security breaches at polling stations and during the counting process. New election buildings across the state boast state-of-the-art security measures, from cameras to fencing and bulletproof glass, and Skinner said Maricopa County will have “zero tolerance” for criminal activity and threats.

“We have done everything we can to ensure our 15 counties are prepared for any scenario, from equipment failures to security threats at our polling places,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said last month. “We stand united against those who threaten our constituencies. democracy, and we are committed to defending our elections through a peaceful, democratic process.”

There were some heartbreaking moments on Election Day. Specifically, Fontes announced during an afternoon news conference that law enforcement was investigating bomb threats in Navajo County, a rural jurisdiction in the northern part of the state that overlaps with parts of the Navajo Nation.

But Fontes said the threats were not credible, calling them a scare tactic.

“We have no reason to believe that any voters or any polling places are in any danger,” Fontes said.

Lots of electioneering, but candidates mostly followed the rules

Campaign officials and political advocates were at polling stations Tuesday.

Democratic volunteers handed out free churros from a blue food truck in Mesa. A pink party bus with the slogan “Trump Train” visited polling places throughout the Valley, ready to transport voters to nearby polling stations if there were lines.

Republican Kari Lake showed up at several polling places in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. Her opponent, Democrat Ruben Gallego, was briefly spotted at a polling station near the University of Arizona in Tucson.

But despite all the activity, election officials reported few violations of the rules. There was one notable exception: Public Instruction Superintendent Tom Horn, a Republican, was ejected from the voting center at Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix for crossing the 75-foot campaign limit line.

Arizona law limits polling places to select groups, including voters who have not voted, election officials, political observers, Voter assistants and minors accompanying voters. Candidates, protesters and journalists are not permitted to enter the 75-foot perimeter.

Horn, 79, said he didn’t realize he was within the 75-foot perimeter while collecting signatures for his 2026 reelection campaign. He said he “immediately stopped asking for signatures” when someone told him he was breaking the law. He said he only collected “a few” signatures before leaving the restricted area.

There were also several instances of snarky comments. In one incident, a group of men blasted obscene music from their car with the windows down, shouting profanities at Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris as they pulled out of the Marley Park parking lot in Surprise on Tuesday night.

But in other polling stations, Republicans and Democrats campaigned peacefully side by side. Outside the Queen Creek library, volunteers who staffed Harris and Trump’s staffing schedules were friendly with each other as they chatted with voters heading to the polls.

Are smooth elections enough to regain voter confidence?

False claims of voter fraud marred the 2020 election. Then in 2022, widespread technical problems in Arizona’s largest cities added fuel to the fire.

Election Day was a chance for officials across the state to regain trust.

Voter survey at polling stations described how they were going to vote with a deep sense of anxiety. Many said that, in their opinion, the future of the country depends on the most prestigious races. In the weeks leading up to the election, poll workers and voters also raised concerns about potential security issues at polling places and pending election results.

In battleground Arizona, voters said they know every vote counts and that their vote could ultimately play a huge role in deciding who takes the White House in January.

“I definitely feel anxious. This is an important issue,” said Greg Meacham, 22, who voted at First United Methodist Church near the University of Arizona in Tucson. “There’s a lot riding on this election, no matter what party you’re in, and it’s getting on your nerves.”

Still, voters seemed to leave the polls with a sense of hope. Paradise Bush, 29, of Phoenix, said she went to drop off her early voting ballot feeling “tired” but felt relieved once she did.

“I’m just really happy and excited to see what (the outcome) is, whatever it is,” she said. “Hopefully after this we can all come together and be more positive towards each other.”

Reporters Reya Lee, Arlissa Becenti, Haley Evans, Sarah Lapidus, Daniel Gonzalez, Nicholas Sullivan, Lane Sainty, Jose Romero, Ray Stern, Meredith White and Mary Jo Pitzl contributed to this article.

Sasha Hupka covers county government and elections administration for the Arizona Republic. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on X: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Instagram or threads: @sashahupkasnaps. Subscribe to her weekly campaign newsletter, Republican recount.