TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It’s too close to election day to use mail ballots and be sure they’ll arrive in time. But an issue with how Pima County sent out early ballots has one state lawmaker calling for an investigation.
There’s been a lot of suspicion about the accuracy and honesty of our voting system and a lot of people who say there’s really nothing to those fears. But now there’s been a snag at the Pima County Recorder’s office that could raise those issues again.
This tough, tight election has led to extra demand for early ballots.
The Office of Pima County Recorder Gabriela Cazares-Kelly says demand overwhelmed the online ballot request site so they shut the link down for several days, contacted about four thousand voters and told them to request a ballot by phone.
A statement from the Recorder says, in part: “The Pima County Recorder’s Office recognizes the burden and disappointment this may have caused during a stressful election cycle.”
Former State Senator Ted Downing is a registered independent. He says his ballot was caught in all this. He says it took a long time to get through on the phone. He got a ballot in the mail, sent it in then got an email from the Recorder saying there was another problem and he should come in person to vote.
“Now what bothers me is this, I've already cast a vote. They've got it. I signed it. Now I'm going to go down and vote again.”
He says to have a valid count he has to hope the ballot he mailed will be tracked down and thrown out or there will be a double vote.
Downing expects the problems to shake confidence and stir up suspicions about the election results.
Republican State Senator Justine Wadsack is calling for an investigation to find out how many early ballot requests were canceled and whether what the Recorder’s office did complied with Arizona election law.
Downing welcomes the investigation and thinks all the political parties should get involved.
