Why Arizona and Nevada are taking days to count ballots

[Lauren Taylor]

ON ELECTION DAY IN ARIZONA, THE POLLS CLOSED AT 7PM. IT’S NOW THE THURSDAY AFTER ELECTION DAY AND ONLY 69% OF THE BALLOTS HAVE BEEN COUNTED IN THE GRAND CANYON STATE. NEVADA, TOO, IS STILL COUNTING BALLOTS WITH 90% OF THE VOTE TABULATED.

ALTHOUGH PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP SEEMS TO HAVE A PATH TO VICTORY IN BOTH STATES, KEY SENATE RACES STILL HANG IN THE BALANCE.

SO, WHY DOES ARIZONA TAKE DAYS TO COUNT AND PROCESS BALLOTS AND DECLARE A WINNER?

BASICALLY, IT COMES DOWN TO THE RETURNED EARLY BALLOTS THAT NEED TO BE PROCESSED AND SCANNED TO VERIFY VOTERS’ SIGNATURES BEFORE THOSE VOTES CAN BE COUNTED.

EARLY BALLOTS DROPPED OFF ON ELECTION DAY CANNOT BE COUNTED UNTIL AFTER ELECTION DAY BECAUSE OF THE SIGNATURE VERIFICATION PROCESS. THIS CAN TAKE DAYS DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF VOTERS WHO DROPPED OFF EARLY BALLOTS ON THE DAY OF THE ELECTION.

ARIZONA LAW ALSO ALLOWS A FIVE-DAY CURING PERIOD FOR COUNTY ELECTION OFFICIALS TO “ENSURE ONLY VALID SIGNATURES ARE COUNTED” AS “STATE LAW PROVIDES VOTERS WITH QUESTIONABLE SIGNATURES FIVE CALENDAR DAYS AFTER THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTION TO CONFIRM THEIR SIGNATURE.”

THE LAW ALSO LETS POLITICAL PARTIES CONDUCT A RANDOM HAND COUNT OF BALLOTS.

ARIZONA COUNTY OFFICIALS CANNOT DECLARE ELECTION RESULTS UNTIL NOVEMBER 11TH AT THE EARLIEST, ACCORDING TO ARIZONA LAW, AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS UNTIL NOVEMBER 25TH TO CANVASS THOSE RESULTS.

THE ARIZONA CLEAN ELECTIONS COMMISSION SAYS THE PROCESS IS TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY AND ACCURACY OF THE VOTE COUNT.

TO HELP SPEED UP THE PROCESS, LAWMAKERS PASSED A BILL IN FEBRUARY, ALLOWING VOTERS DROPPING OFF THEIR EARLY BALLOTS ON ELECTION DAY TO STAND IN LINE AND SHOW THEIR ID. THEN THEIR SIGNATURES WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE VERIFIED.

HOWEVER, THERE WERE MORE THAN 225,000 EARLY BALLOTS DROPPED OFF ON ELECTION DAY TUESDAY IN MARICOPA COUNTY ALONE.

MARICOPA COUNTY ELECTION OFFICIALS ESTIMATED BEFORE ELECTION DAY THAT IT WOULD TAKE 10-13 DAYS TO COUNT BALLOTS.

MEANWHILE, IN NEVADA, STATE LAW ALLOWS MAIL-IN BALLOTS, WITH NO POSTMARK OR AN UNCLEAR ONE TO BE COUNTED BY 5 P.M. FRIDAY, AND BALLOTS POSTMARKED BY ELECTION DAY, TO BE COUNTED UNTIL 5PM SATURDAY.

NEVADA STATE LAW ALSO ALLOWS A SIGNATURE CURING PROCESS TO GO THROUGH NOVEMBER 12TH.

IN 2020, NEVADA DID NOT DECLARE NOW PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN THE WINNER UNTIL FOUR DAYS AFTER ELECTION DAY.