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By Jonathan Cooper | Arizona Capitol Times
Arizona’s largest county is considering holding up to two weeks of in-person voting in the August primary election to reduce the risk that the coronavirus will spread among people casting ballots.
Maricopa County election officials proposed opening 75 to 100 “vote centers” where any registered voter can cast a ballot during a 10-to-14-day period before the Aug. 4 primary. The proposal was outlined Monday by Scott Jarrett, head of Election Day and emergency voting for the county, in a presentation to the Board of Supervisors. A final decision is expected next month.
Vote centers would maintain social distancing and cleaning protocols, and voters would not be tied to a neighborhood polling location.
About eight in 10 voters already cast ballots by mail, and the county also plans an advertising campaign to let the remaining voters know how to request a mail ballot.
