Late Maricopa County mail ballot plan for Democratic primary blocked
Mar 13, 2020, 1:00 PM | Updated: Mar 16, 2020, 8:12 am
(Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)
(Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)
PHOENIX — Maricopa County officials on Friday tried adding a last-minute voting option for residents for Tuesday’s presidential preference election because of concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.
Later in the day, the decision from Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes to mail ballots to all eligible voters — including those who didn’t request an early ballot — for the Democratic primary to limit person-to-person interaction was stopped by a temporary restraining order from Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich.
Fontes said the decision was also made after several polling places canceled and poll workers backed out due to virus fears.
Residents still have the option to vote in person at county polling places on Tuesday.
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“We are in uncharted territory with the COVID-19,” Fontes said in a press release. “My first concern is to protect the health of the voters and staff who work in the polling places while maintaining the integrity of the election.
“Anything we can do to minimize human interaction in the polling place is what we must to do.”
A full list of county polling places can be found here.
