New voter ID system could speed up counting of early ballots
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Early ballots in 2024. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Arizonans have a new option this year to bypass the signature verification process for early ballots, potentially speeding up the state's infamously long vote-counting process.
Why it matters: Ballot-counting in Arizona can take days or even more than a week to determine winners in the closest races.
Context: Voters write their signatures on their early ballot envelopes, and election workers use the signatures to verify voters' identities as ballots arrive in the mail.
- When voters drop off early ballots on Election Day, election workers can't begin verifying signatures until the next day, potentially causing significant delays in finalizing results.
- In 2024, 210,000 Maricopa County voters dropped off "late earlies" on Election Day. In 2022, it was more than 290,000.
State of play: A 2024 law, which created a new system this year, allows voters to show ID when they drop off early ballots. This lets them bypass signature verification.
- Voters can do this through the close of polls on Election Day.
- Voters still have the option to drop off early ballots for signature verification instead of showing ID.
Zoom in: It's unclear how many Maricopa County voters have used the new system.
- The Maricopa County Recorder's Office did not have numbers available.
- About 2,800 people in Pima County used that option through Friday morning, the recorder's office tells Axios.
What we're watching: If a significant number of voters show their ID to skip signature verification when they drop off early ballots on Election Day, we could know who won close races earlier than usual.
- About 30% of voters who dropped off early ballots on Election Day for the July primary used the new voter ID option, and about 50% in Pima County did the same.
Jeremy's thought bubble: I tried out the new system and it was super easy.
- An election worker directed me to a computer terminal, scanned my ballot and driver's license, had me verify my voter information on a screen, then stamped my ballot, which I put in the box.
- I was in and out in just a few minutes.