Election changes could lead to quicker results in Maricopa County, Adrian Fontes says

Arizona voters have a new option this primary election that could speed up vote counting and help races be called sooner, according to Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.

“The new method really means that in Maricopa County they’re going to be deploying not only the regular ballot tabulators at vote centers across the county, but they’re also going to be deploying separate tabulators for early voters who want to actually have their ballot tabulated in person,” Fontes told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Tuesday, which is Election Day.

Early voters who choose this option will still need to stand in line with their ballots in green envelopes and present identification for validation. They will be submitting their completed early ballots rather than filling out newly printed Election Day ballots.

“So, they need separate tabulators because they are technically separate ballots, but that also will potentially alleviate the processing of those envelopes that has to happen later,” Fontes said. “If we do end up with quicker results at the end of the day — which I think we may very well have — great.”

Maricopa County has more resources for 2026 primary election

Maricopa County officials have also been working behind the scenes to hire more election workers and add overnight shifts, Fontes said.

“I think they’re running signature verification all day today, all through the night tonight, which is something that folks like me have not had the resources to do for a long time. Now they’ve got them,” said Fontes, a former Maricopa County recorder. “So they heard the clarion call. They’re expending the resources.”

Fontes also emphasized the cooperation among county officials despite a public power struggle leading up to Election Day.

“The Board of Supervisors and the recorder’s team were working well together to execute this plan,” Fontes said.

Maricopa County offices have different election responsibilities

The Maricopa County Elections Department, which is overseen by the Board of Supervisors, is responsible for Election Day voting operations. The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office oversees early voting and mail ballot signature verification.

Fontes said the changes could help officials release election results more quickly.

“That means this part of government is working in spite of the public fights. And that’s a good thing,” Fontes said. “For me, it’s always about what are we doing well together, which is always more important than what are we bickering about today, right?”

The Arizona Secretary of State’s website provides contact information and links to official election websites for all 15 counties. The first batch of results will be released at 8 p.m.

KTAR News 92.3 FM and KTAR.com will cover the latest developments and results throughout the day. Coverage will include a special Election Day report airing from 7 to 10 p.m.

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