Click, click, nothing: Arizona elections website falls down on job in debut

PHOENIX — Elections are not getting any easier for the Arizona secretary of state’s office.

The department’s highly touted new elections website froze and crashed over and over Tuesday night — primary Election Day, bringing more questions about the office’s capabilities running state elections.

In March, computer errors factored into long lines at polling places for the state’s presidential preference primary and delayed reports of results. That also happened in 2012.

Secretary of State Michele Reagan said the issues had been corrected and she expected a smooth primary night.

Expectations were unmet. Users couldn’t retrieve election results as easily as promised and in some cases, not at all. Twitter lit up with jibes and frustrations in response.

Live look at the SOS elections results website pic.twitter.com/ZxXynFh3Ym

— Jim Small (@JimSmall) August 31, 2016

Who had 8:01 in the pool of when the #AzSos site would crash?#AZPrimary

— barrett marson (@barrettmarson) August 31, 2016

3 hours after polls closed, #azsos site remains plagued w/technical difficulties and diminishing voter #confidence. pic.twitter.com/YMW9knQGYH

— 1700 West 🇺🇸 (@1700West) August 31, 2016

.@SecretaryReagan try unplugging it and then waiting five seconds #AZPrimary pic.twitter.com/eX15B0mqPa

— Pima Dems (@PimaDems) August 31, 2016

So #MaricopaRecorder is showing over 250K vote in #AzSen race. @SecretaryReagan is reporting 4,500 votes so far #AZSOS fail #AZPrimary

— Brent Kleinman (@brentjkleinman) August 31, 2016

@azfamily – I can't get through to #AZSOS site from my phone. @preston

— Brad (@BradHubert) August 31, 2016

#AZPrimary #AZSOS– the page isn't working but are you? pic.twitter.com/FYUDnNvHM4

— Elendil Tech (@1SeerStone) August 31, 2016

#AZPrimary SecofState Michele Reagan better take note of Co. Recorder Helen Purcell losing.Election results online a mess! #Fox10Phoenix

— John Hook (@JohnHookfox10) August 31, 2016

Reagan spokesman Matt Roberts said early Tuesday evening that the office was prepared and had backup plans in place for the new system.

By late Tuesday, Roberts said, “We’re not completely sure as to what’s causing some of the slowness in the reporting.”

“We are showing accurate results, certainly not at the rate we want to,” he said.

During the presidential preference election, Reagan was blamed for not foreseeing problems with Maricopa County’s plan to drastically cut the number of polling sites.

“It’s incredible that we just can’t get these things right,” state Attorney General Mark Brnovich said when there was a problem with May’s special election.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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