Phase one of a makeover at the Maricopa County Ballot Tabulation Center, known as the BTC, in downtown Phoenix is underway.
On Thursday, County Elections Director Scott Jarrett spoke about some of the changes.
"We’re going to be taking down one of our walls that will allow us to reconfigure and add more equipment into our tabulation center with the hope to allow us to get through some of those ballots a little bit quicker, especially after Election Day," he said in a video.
In the meantime, tabulation equipment and ballot adjudication stations have been moved from the center into the secure ballot vault.
According to a separate news release:
"There are no ballots within the BTC, and livestream cameras will remain in operation for public viewing 24/7. Some other 24/7 cameras may be temporarily disabled as we make some adjustments to other areas of the facility. Subsequent renovation phases include an expansion to our warehouse, elections command center, various meeting rooms and utility spaces throughout the building. Completion of phase one is projected for Sept. 18, 2023. Phases two-four will begin after the November 2023 Jurisdictional Election is complete."