Arizona election leaders, law enforcement prepared for primary Election Day

PHOENIX — Preparation for Arizona’s primary Election Day on Tuesday has been underway since January, according to the state’s top election official.

“We’re going to be especially busy throughout the day,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Tuesday morning.

Voters who cast their ballots will narrow down the crowd of candidates for various seats of power, from the U.S. Senate to the county recorder.

Essentially, the results of the primary election will determine which candidates will be on the ballot for the general election on Nov. 5.

“We’re going to be super, super busy right around the time that the polls are closing just to make sure we’ve got the lines of communication open and we can get those results out as quickly as possible,” Fontes said.

Putting safety first for the 2024 Arizona primary election

Safety is a top priority for election officials, Fontes added.

“We are monitoring with our law enforcement and other election official partners,” Fontes said.

To that end, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is working to support poll workers and voters in Arizona’s most populous county.

“We got a vast community and we certainly don’t want to be a part of any intimidation or anything else with any of our community members,” Deputy Chief Frank McWilliams told Arizona’s Morning News. “It’s not just MCSO that’s going to be out there enforcing today. We’re working with all of our federal, state, local partners so that we may address any issues that show up at a polling place.”

McWilliams said any attempts to disrupt vote centers, harass poll workers or prevent voting will be punished.

“Law enforcement will be swift to deal with you,” he said.

Programming note: KTAR News 92.3 FM will provide live coverage and analysis of the 2024 primary election results, with special shows from noon to 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday and noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday.