By Jessica Boehm | Arizona Republic
2018 was a rough year for elections in Maricopa County.
In August, newly minted Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes administered his first major election, and it was plagued with issues from the moment polls were supposed to open.
At 6 a.m. Aug. 28, 62 polling places around the county were not set up and ready to accept voters. The early morning issues gave way to a multitude of other issues that should have been quick fixes but lingered throughout the day.
The November general election had far fewer logistical issues, but criticism of Fontes, a Democrat, continued. Republican-backed groups challenged the legality of new procedures he implemented and accused him of rigging the system for Democrats.
