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The Arizona Republic Editorial Board
We may have to sacrifice convenience to lessen the time it takes to declare winners
Does Arizona’s voting system need an overhaul or do voters need better understanding why the vote-counting takes so long — or both?
Doing nothing is not option. Not after Arizona’s voting system took a couple of glaring stumbles in the 2022 elections amid the national spotlight:
● Machines to tabulate votes malfunctioned at up to 60% of polling places in Maricopa County for half of Election Day, leading to confusion and long lines.
● Counting votes to declare winners in key races, with control of the U.S. Senate and the governor’s office in the balance, took upwards of a week.
Neither involved manipulation or malice. And neither prevented voters from casting a ballot or having their ballot counted.
The tabulation malfunction occurred because of improper settings that resulted in the
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