Ducey: Arizona may not know state’s pick for president on Election Day

PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey says don’t be surprised if Arizona doesn’t announce the state’s winner for the presidential election on Election Day in November.

Ducey pointed to a high amount of mail-in ballots that will come in and previous stalls in prompt election results as reasons a winner may not be immediately known.

“I’m hopeful we will be able to announce a winner on election night but I think with what we’re seeing across the country with the amount of ballots coming in…it’s entirely possible we won’t be able to announce or declare a winner on that evening,” Ducey said Thursday during a press conference.

The U.S. Senate race between Democrat Kyrsten Sinema and Republican Martha McSally wasn’t called until almost a week after election day in November 2018.

About 75% of Arizona voters cast ballots by mail in that election.

Mail-in ballots have to go through the laborious signature confirmation process, and only then can be opened and tabulated. If county recorders have issues verifying signatures they are allowed to ask voters to verify their identity.

Ducey praised Arizona’s mail-in balloting system, which has been in place for almost 30 years.

“What I’ve been outspoken about is experimentation in mail-in balloting in states that are putting this together last moment,” Ducey said. “We’ve been doing it since 1992. Arizona is going to be able to get it right.”

Mail-in balloting roadblocks caused by President Donald Trump could also play a factor come November.

Trump acknowledged Thursday in an interview that he’s starving the U.S. Postal Service of money in order to make it harder to process an expected surge of mail-in ballots, which he worries could cost him the election.

Trump explicitly noted two funding provisions that Democrats are seeking in a relief package that has stalled on Capitol Hill.

Without the additional money, he said, the Postal Service won’t have the resources to handle a flood of ballots from voters who are seeking to avoid polling places during the coronavirus pandemic.

“My focus is on the state of Arizona and Arizona is if not the pioneer — a model of excellence — for mail-in balloting,” Ducey said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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