PHOENIX — If Arizonans want to see election results faster in the hours and days after polls close, the memo is clear: Vote early.
Maricopa County officials said Wednesday it’ll take 10 to 13 days to completely tabulate votes, a timeline they explained is based on state law and includes the curing period.
But they added the length of time will largely depend on how many people turn in “late early” ballots, which are mail-in ballots dropped off on Election Day.
The county recommends those planning to vote on the day of should do it in person instead, as those ballots are tabulated on site at the polling place.
“Arizona has laws that provide eligible voters more flexibility and consideration than many other states. These laws ensure more legal votes make it into the final tally, but do delay reporting,” the county tweeted Wednesday, adding the tabulation also includes a five-day “grace period” to verify provisional ballots and “questioned” early-ballot signatures.
“Unlike Florida, for example, we allow voters to drop off early ballots until polls close on Election Day, but those ‘late earlies’ have to go through a rigorous verification process in the days following Election Day,” the thread continued.
The county is the “second-largest voting jurisdiction” in the country behind Los Angeles County, which is deep blue.
Both sides of the aisle are spreading the message in the Grand Canyon State — with the messengers including a former president.
“But we gotta show up because they always show up, don’t they? But there’s more of us than them if we show up,” Bill Clinton said at a Wednesday north Phoenix event specifically aimed at encouraging early voting for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Clinton was the last Democrat to win Arizona besides President Biden in 2020.
Before 1996, the last time a Democrat won the Grand Canyon State was Harry Truman in 1948.
“We need to be able to look at each other and talk to people,” Clinton added.
“A lot of people can be persuaded on the other side.”
Former President Donald Trump said in a recent Fox News interview he plans on voting early as well.
One mailer the Arizona Republican Party sent includes photos of Trump, pleading, “If you have a ballot, return it now!”
In the Senate race, both Democratic nominee Rep. Ruben Gallego and Republican nominee Kari Lake are also heavily pushing early voting.
“If you’re voting an early ballot, vote it early. You wanna drop it off, drop it off now,” Arizona GOP Chairwoman Gina Swoboda said in a video explaining the long counting period Wednesday.
The message seems to be resonating with voters of all stripes.
Turnout is at 21.1% in Maricopa County with more than 539,853 returns so far, according to the Democratic firm Uplift Campaigns. Republican returns hold a more than 30,000-vote advantage there so far and nearly 54,000 in the state, which has nearly a million returns in total.
The ex-prez is up by 1 point in the race for Arizona’s 11 electoral votes, 50% to 49%, Marist College polling released Thursday shows.
Trump is rallying in Tempe Thursday after his son Donald Trump Jr. stopped by Wednesday.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, is visiting the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona Saturday, and his Republican counterpart, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, rallied in Peoria and Tucson Tuesday.
