Maricopa county implements “vote anywhere” initiative
The Maricopa County Elections Department is set to implement a “vote anywhere” model for the November general election.
This plan allows voters to choose to vote at any of the polling locations throughout the county, and provides a list of dates and times of operations for each.
At the time of writing, there are 223 Vote Center locations available throughout Maricopa county, with an additional 19 drop box sites available for individuals to deliver their ballots as well.
The “vote anywhere” initiative was included as part of Maricopa County’s 2022 Elections Plan.
Voters were able to cast their ballot at any of the available locations during the primary elections in August, as opposed to an assigned polling place dictated by one’s address.
This new protocol introduced a comprehensive report of changes, located within the plan linked above, that have been made to the electoral process, and provides voters with further information on the variety of balloting options present within the county.
“The Elections Department will focus on educating voters and building trust in the election administration and voting processes,” the plan states. “Whether the voter decides to vote by mail or in-person, our goal is to provide safe, secure, reliable, and accessible choices.”
A heavy emphasis has also been placed on transparency and security for the tabulation of votes.
Following the 2020 presidential election, former President Donald Trump alleged that fraudulent votes had been granted to his opponent, current President Joe Biden.
A large degree of these claims were aimed at the Dominion Voting System utilized by the state of Arizona.
“As required by state statute, the Dominion Voting System we will use for the 2022 August Primary and November General elections is certified by the Federal U.S. Election Assistance Commision (EAC), the State’s Equipment Certification Advisory Committee, and the Secretary of State,” stated the election plan presentation.
The plan provides a forecast for voter turnout in the November general election, and emphasizes a need to shorten wait times for voters at polling places, mandated by a state statute.
The plan notes that, “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.”The deadline for voter registration is October 11, and eligible residents of Arizona can register here. The general election will take place on Nov. 8 and the last day to return mail-in ballots will be Nov. 1.
