PHOENIX (AP) — Employees for Arizona’s most populous county are taking on extra shifts to help election workers with an around-the-clock operation to process early ballots that are an unusually long two pages . Election officials in Maricopa County must verify each voter’s signature on early ballot envelopes and then remove the ballot pages so they can be prepared for actual counting. The county was unsure how long it would need to keep up the 24-hour operation, which kicked off Thursday night.
“As predicted, the first two-page ballot since 2006 has affected election administration, especially for the hard-working bipartisan boards who are separating the ballot pages from the affidavit envelopes,” said Jennifer Liewer, Maricopa County deputy elections director for communications. “In addition to election workers already on staff, county workers are stepping up to assist with the process,” she said Liewer said early Thursday evening that the number of people helping out would fluctuate as they are trained, but that eventually between 150 and 200 people are expected to be used for the additional shifts. “The county employees who are assisting with the night shifts are doing so outside of their normal job responsibilities,” she said.
“We are also utilizing Maricopa County Public Health Medical Reserve Corps members.” Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said earlier this week that ballots have been received from 1 million voters, a number approaching 40%.