Maricopa County Elections Office Tour with LAMA & LSS-SW
On Thursday, November 16th, staff from Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest and Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Arizona visited the Maricopa County Election Center for a tour. We toured the facilities in order to prepare our organizations for the upcoming election year. While there, we were able to meet and talk with the county’s top election directors, Scott Jarrett (runs vote tallying and election day voting) and Rey Valenzuela (runs early voting and vote by mail).
First, the election staff took us through a detailed presentation about the elections process in Maricopa County. It detailed everything from what responsibilities the election office has, to how votes are counted, to election recounts, to voter assistance.
Scott Jarrett, presenting
They also took time to address some common misconceptions that voters often have about elections in our county. For example, Maricopa county doesn’t actually take longer than other jurisdictions to count its votes. It certifies its election results in the same amount of time as the rest of the country. However, our races tend to be very close, so it takes press outlets longer to call our elections.
Other facts they shared with us include that Maricopa county is the 2nd largest voting jurisdiction behind Los Angeles County, and that voter registration is split almost perfectly in thirds between Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.
We were then given a tour of the entire tabulation facility, including the room where mail-in ballot signatures are verified and the warehouse that stores equipment until voting centers are open. Afterward, they answered all of our questions. We were also provided with a folder full of handouts, which you can check out below:
Above all, the Election Directors encouraged voter participation in all parts of the process.
To check your voter registration status, find an election calendar, or learn some election facts, visit beballotready.vote
If you have any questions about the election process, vote counting, or result verification, they are happy to answer them here!
We also encourage you to explore all the voter education resources available here. These include a plethora of handouts, videos, and more!
For those interested in exploring the voting process, you can find out more information about various jobs and opportunities here!
We encourage our congregation to explore the resources available for voter assistance — the county offers assistance to disabled and elderly voters, as well as voters that speak a language other than English or Spanish. If these resources would be beneficial to anyone in your congregation, please take advantage of them!
If your church — or another group you belong to — is interested in becoming a polling place, please email the office at outreach@risc.maricopa.gov , or call 602-506-1511.
If you, your group, or your congregation are interested in learning more about the elections process of the election department, you can take your own tour! Join a tour or schedule one of your own at outreach@risc.maricopa.gov or 602-506-1511.
