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FACT BRIEF

Were Maricopa County voters affected by ballot processing issues required to use a provisional ballot to vote somewhere else?

By Austin Tannenbaum
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NO

A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Elections Department said Republican Arizona gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake was incorrect in suggesting that a provisional ballot would be used if voters affected by ballot processing issues went to vote elsewhere. As long as voters spoiled their initial ballot and were signed out of their first location, they were able to vote normally at any other location. It appears that if a voter was unable to sign out — as happened in at least one case reported on by The Arizona Republic — a provisional ballot was used.

The county attributed the ballot processing issue to a printing error that made ballot marks too light for voting machines to read. The issue was reportedly resolved by adjusting the printer settings.

The county also allowed affected voters to drop their ballots in a "secure slot" to be taken to a different facility for processing.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Votebeat Arizona Maricopa County found a solution to its ballot-tabulating problem. Unscanned votes will still be counted.
The Arizona Republic Arizona Election Day recap: Hobbs leads Lake in governor's race in early results
Maricopa County — Twitter @maricopavote has identified the solution for the tabulation issues at about 60 Vote Centers.
Bill Gates — Twitter If you’re at a polling place experiencing an issue with a tabulator, you have three options & your vote will be counted in each. 1) stay where you are and wait for tabulator to come online 2) drop your ballot in the secure slot (door 3) on tabulator 3) go to a nearby vote center
KTAR Voters in Maricopa County can use Door 3 drop box alternative
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.