Maricopa County election officials have received more than 570,000 early ballots so far. According to County Recorder Helen Purcell, that is fewer than last midterm election in 2010.
“We keep increasing each time the number of people who order early ballots that number continues to increase," Purcell said. "What we’ve seen so far is under 50 percent in those people who have returned their early ballots.”
Purcell said she expects total voter participation in the county to be around 50 percent. This election, poll workers will use new technology. The tablets used for the first time in the primary will have e-Pollbooks software to check voters in.
“When they go into a polling place and say 'this is where I live,' and they are not in the correct polling place, the electronic poll book will print off a receipt for them that we can hand to them. 'This is the polling place you need to go to and these are the major cross streets to get there,'” Purcell said.
She expects this to cut down on provisional ballots. The date has passed to mail back the early ballot, but voters can still drop it off at polling locations listed online at the county recorders website. Polling locations will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
