Polls opened for in-person voting from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday as Arizona and the nation wrap up a contentious midterm election.
Republican Kari Lake, the Trump-backed former TV news anchor, is squaring off against Democrat Katie Hobbs, Arizona’s secretary of state, in a high-profile race for who will become governor. Trump-endorsed Republican Blake Masters and Democratic incumbent Mark Kelly also are locked in a tight contest for a U.S. Senate seat.
The first results were expected to be released around 8 p.m.
Follow coverage of Arizona’s midterm election by Republic reporters here.
4:30 p.m.: Phoenix, Scottsdale voters explain their choices
Lisa Sandoval and Rosita Salway cast their ballots at Academies at South Mountain in south Phoenix early Tuesday.
“The most important vote we cast today was just to maintain our democracy,” said Sandoval, who works in medical administration.
“I do have concerns regarding Kari Lake,” Sandoval said. “I don’t have a problem with a candidate being conservative or liberal. To me, it’s never about whether they’re a Republican or Democrat.” It’s about their “core values,” she said.
Salway and Sandoval said they showed up for propositions on the ballot as well, especially to vote against the propositions that aim to change ballot initiative rules. Sandoval said that Proposition 129 specifically was “a bit concerning if it passes.”
Sandoval has seen firsthand the problems with the rising cost of healthcare, she said. She said she voted yes for Proposition 209, which would limit interest rates on medical debt and increase property protections for debt collection.
Sandoval was both surprised and happy that medical debt was on the ballot, she said.
“Medical debt is so massive for people, especially when you’re dealing with long-term care or chronic illness or terminal illness,” she said. “Not only are you fighting for your life, but you end up fighting for your home or your stability because it can be absolutely crippling.”
Larry Dillie, 76, voted in person at the Islamic Center in Scottsdale on Tuesday. He said his top issues were inflation, crime and the border.
Dillie said he felt the election was very secure, but only because he waited to fill out his ballot in person. He said he doesn’t like voting by mail.
Heather Pratt also voted at the Islamic Center polling place and said it was “just very stressful,” as machines were acting up.
“And they pulled apart the machines in front of me and made it sound like everybody’s ballot wasn’t being taken,” Pratt said.
— Madeleine Parrish and Emily Sacia
4:10 p.m.: Trump urges Arizonans to stay in line
Former President Donald Trump posted a video message to Truth Social at 3 p.m. on Tuesday urging Arizona voters to stay in line at the polls, despite any issues with tabulators or long wait times.
Truth Social is social media platform created by Trump Media & Technology Group.
“To the great people of Arizona — Maricopa County, in particular — don’t leave your line. Stay where you are,” Trump said.
The sentiments echo what GOP candidates in Arizona told their supporters: vote in person and don’t leave long lines.
“They say that the machines aren’t working, they say that they’re running out of paper in different locations throughout different states,” Trump said. “There’s a lot of bad things going on. Stay on line, do not leave.”
“Already, a lot of people have left and it’s very, very unfair what’s going on. Maricopa County, don’t leave. Stay there.”
— Lillian Boyd
3:50 p.m.: Passing out pizza to student voters in Tempe
At Escalante Community Center in Tempe, voters were split on both the candidates and the priority issues. Several voters said abortion rights, the economy and water conservation were at top of mind as they cast their ballots.
Brothers Thomas and Steven Womack said inflation and border security were the most important issues to them. They both voted for Kari Lake for governor.
“I think she focuses on issues really well,” said Steven Womack, 60.
Software engineer Saif Azharuddin said he was motivated to vote because not enough young people do.
“I feel like most younger people are too online, and I don’t want to be part of the problem,” the 25-year-old said. He’s passionate about school funding, water conservation and lowering medical debt, and said he mostly voted for Democrats.
Elsewhere in Tempe, students at Arizona State University waited around 40 minutes to cast their vote on Tuesday afternoon.
The line at the polling site, located in a gymnasium at the fitness center, moved slowly as it stretched around the building.
Jacob Eslick, a 22-year-old senior at ASU, said he did not encounter any issues in the voting process. He said he was motivated to vote by abortion rights, casting ballots for pro-choice candidates.
“When it comes to actual rights to people, I think that everyone should have a right to choose. I feel abortion was like the main issue, so just wanted to make sure women have that right,” he said.
Dozens of volunteers canvassing for candidates and propositions walked up and down the line to talk to voters, some even handing out pizza to people waiting in line.
— Juliette Rihl and Rafael Carranza
3:40 p.m.: Election denial group calls for protests
An election denial group is calling for dual rallies on Tuesday in Maricopa and Pima counties to protest voting machines.
The group, 2020 Is Nullified, issued a call on social media for supporters to gather at 8 p.m. outside the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix and at the Pima County Recorder’s Office in Tucson.
“Stand in solidarity with fellow Americans to demand a hand count” of ballots, the group said.
The group maintains voting machines are not legal and have not been certified.
Election officials say the tabulation machines are certified by state and federal inspectors, which is required under the law.
— Robert Anglen
3:30 p.m.: Flagstaff voters say ballots have impact in battleground Arizona
Voting across Flagstaff was proceeding smoothly on Tuesday.
Brad Dorman, 44, turned out to cast a ballot because, in competitive battleground states like Arizona, voters have an opportunity to make a clear difference, he said.
“States tend to have gone in one direction or stayed in one direction to where you may feel like, ‘Does it really count if I go in and vote?’” Dorman said. “In a battleground state, that’s where really the majority of the money is being poured.”
While the midterms historically have a lower voter turnout than presidential election years, Damon pointed out that many of the issues represented on the 2022 ballot will have local effects.
“I feel like it’s the local stuff and even state that has a more direct impact” on voters’ lives, he said.
Jim Ellis has lived in Flagstaff for 56 years and cast his ballot at Flagstaff High School on Tuesday afternoon, just down the street from his home.
“So many things are at stake, primarily our democracy,” he said.
“When you got people that are well-educated, and they’re denying that Biden is the president, you know something’s wrong,” Ellis said.
— Lacey Latch
3:15 p.m.: Maricopa County identifies tabulator issue
Maricopa County has identified a solution to solve ongoing problems with tabulators at voting locations across the county, officials said.
The issues, which impacted about 60 polling places — 30% of sites — were related to timing marks on ballots.
In Maricopa County, printers at polling sites produce ballots on demand so that voters can vote at any location in the county, rather than being assigned a polling place. The formatting marks on the ballots produced by some printers weren’t printing dark enough for the tabulators to read, officials said.
Technological support staff have already resolved the issue at 17 locations, according to county officials.
“I am very sorry for any voter who has been frustrated or inconvenienced today in Maricopa County,” Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said in a statement. “Every legal vote will be tabulated. I promise.”
Richer said per state statute, the county recorder is generally responsible for voter registration and early voting, and the county board of supervisors for emergency voting, Election Day and tabulation.
Voters who are running into issues with tabulators can place their ballots in a secure ballot box labeled “drawer 3” to be counted or can go to a different voting location. Most locations are unaffected by tabulator issues, according to the county. Locations are listed at locations.maricopa.vote.
— Sasha Hupka and Alison Steinbach
3 p.m.: Voters report smooth process in Tucson
Jessie Jensen and Eric Rahn stopped to vote at the Sam Lena Public Library polling center in south Tucson because it was on their way home.
Voting was “really easy,” Jensen said, adding that it was just nice to be able to vote anywhere.
“Every vote is important. The world has gone crazy lately,” Jensen said. Jensen usually votes with a mail-in ballot, but she didn’t receive one this election, she said.
Rahn said women’s rights were an important issue for him during this election.
A poll inspector at the site said other than printer jam issues, which are typical, things have been running smoothly.
Luz Acosta said the voting process was quick, with no lines or issues. She said she felt the process was secure and was turning out because of many issues.
“I’m a single mom,” she said. “It’s all important.”
— Sarah Lapidus
2:45 p.m.: Cybersecurity officials say still no threat to disrupt elections
Two senior U.S. cybersecurity officials said Tuesday afternoon that the Department of Homeland Security continues to see no specific or credible threat to disrupt election infrastructure or Election Day operations and that it remains vigilant to protect against foreign nation disinformation and malign influence operations.
The officials, both with DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency or CISA, noted that there have been a few isolated issues arising from within the 8,800 or so individual election jurisdictions in the U.S., including Maricopa County. But they described them as nothing out of the ordinary and said CISA was in close touch with elected officials in Maricopa County and elsewhere across the country in order to understand and respond to any Election Day problems if needed.
The officials, both speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing cybersecurity operations, referred questions about Maricopa County to local officials there, who have released statements and a video explaining how the voting machinery works.
One of the CISA officials specifically cautioned against some efforts to politicize what appears to be a fairly routine technical glitch, saying Maricopa County voters should have confidence in their systems because they are fully transparent and open to bipartisan observers. Also, one of the officials said, Arizona has a process that uses paper ballots for all votes, so there will be opportunities to verify — and audit — them if necessary.
— Josh Meyer, USA TODAY
2:30 p.m.: Kari Lake casts vote in person
Republican candidate for governor Kari Lake went to vote at Phoenix’s downtown post office at noon on Tuesday with her husband, son and daughter.
Afterward, she spoke to a throng of local, national and international press, alleging problems with ballot tabulators in conservative areas, prompting her to vote in “the heart of liberal Phoenix” instead of in Paradise Valley as she had planned.
Maricopa County has not released a list of locations with issues, saying that about 20% of over 220 voting locations were impacted.
“We have had problems after problems,” Lake told reporters. “And there’s a reason we decided to change locations.”
Lake has made election reforms a key part of her campaign platform, including false claims that Donald Trump won the state in 2020. She has refused to say if she’d accept a loss, telling ABC News in October she would do so if the election was “fair, honest and transparent.”
“This is incompetency,” Lake said Tuesday standing next to GOP lawyer Harmeet Dhillon, a Republican National Committee member from California who has represented Trump. Lake’s campaign brought on Dhillon last month.
“I hope it’s not malice, but we’re going to fix it,” Lake said. “We’re going to win. And when we win there is going to be a come to Jesus for elections in Arizona.”
As Lake cast her vote, Democratic nominee for governor Katie Hobbs wrapped up visits to several polling locations in Tempe and Phoenix. Hobbs voted early on Nov. 1.
— Stacey Barchenger
2:15 p.m. Voting machine issues also reported in New Jersey
Like Maricopa County, there were reports of issues with voting machines in Mercer County, New Jersey.
Poll workers in Mercer County discovered an issue with the voting machine scanners soon after polls opened, said Nathaniel Walker, superintendent of elections.
“Every ballot that has been cast will be counted, no voter will be disenfranchised, and the integrity of the election is intact and secure,” Walker said.
Voters are to fill out paper ballots as they normally would, Walker said.
“A contingency plan is in place for all ballots cast at all locations to be scanned at the secure Board of Elections office,” Walker said. “Again, ballots will be scanned just as they would at the polling location.”
The county said in a Facebook post that the board of elections “is working with Dominion, the machine maker, to resolve the issue.”
New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin tweeted, “Attention all Mercer County voters — paper ballots are available in your precinct, and all polling locations are open. Rest assured: paper ballots are safe and secure, and your vote will be counted.”
The issues were likely to delay vote counts in the 3rd and 12th Congressional District races, as well as local races.
— Liam Quinn
1:55 p.m.: Some Maricopa County polling locations reporting long lines
Some Maricopa County polling locations were reporting wait times of more than 30 minutes as of early afternoon on Tuesday. Keep in mind that wait times are fluid and can change frequently throughout the day.
As of 1:45 p.m., the Outlets at Anthem had the longest wait time among county polling locations at 64 minutes followed by Mesa Community College at Red Mountain at 56 minutes. Asante Library in Surprise reported a 56-minute wait time.
Earlier this week, Maricopa County officials said the busiest time at the polls is generally from 5 to 7 p.m.
You can check wait times on the county’s website: https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/where-to-vote.html.
— Anne Ryman
1:40 p.m. Political activist criticizes Maricopa County over machine glitches
Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, the influential Phoenix-based nonprofit aimed at engaging young conservatives, sent a Tweet to his 1.8 million followers calling for arrests related to election issues in Arizona’s most populous county.
“People need to be arrested for what is happening in Maricopa County,” Kirk wrote at about 12:15 p.m. on Election Day. “It’s criminal.”
Although the Tweet wasn’t specific about why Kirk thought arrests were warranted, it came amid a stream of Tweets about lines and machine glitches throughout metro Phoenix.
Kirk urged Republicans to vote in person, saying he did not trust the early voting mechanisms. He said that he expected the number of in-person voters to be “so immense they will not be able to do what they normally do, the kind of nonsense shenanigans.”
— Richard Ruelas
1:30 p.m.: Cochise County may appeal ruling on hand count
A day after a judge shot down an attempt to hand count every Cochise County ballot in Tuesday’s election, officials signaled they want to appeal.
The board of supervisors called an emergency meeting for Wednesday to consider hiring outside counsel Bryan Blehm to represent not only the three-person board, but also the county recorder and the elections director.
Supervisor Peggy Judd said she was hoping to get support for an appeal, arguing, along with supervisor Tom Crosby, that their hand count plan was legal. A Pima County judge late Monday ruled it was not.
Judd, a Republican, blamed the ruling on political bias.
“Pima County is our most liberal county in Arizona,” she said in an email to The Arizona Republic. ”It was in our judge’s DNA to side with the plaintiff.”
— Mary Jo Pitzl
1:15 p.m.: On Tohono O’odham Nation, employees distribute shirts, more
In Sells, employees of the Tohono O’odham Nation’s Sells District Administration Office distributed T-shirts, water bottles, clip boards, storage containers and first aid kits to tribal members who voted Tuesday.
The employees set up a large white tent in the office parking lot.
Sells District Chairman Juan Buendia, 36, said the giveaways are a way to encourage voter participation among tribal members. Voter turnout was steady.
The text on the gray T-shirts said, “Our Voice — Our Vote, Since 1948.”
Sells is the Tohono O’odham nation’s capital. It is one of the nation’s 11 political districts and is the most populous on the reservation, which stretches across south-central Arizona and borders Mexico.
— Noel Lyn Smith, reporting supported by the Pulitzer Center
1 p.m.: Yavapai County responds to social media messages about voting
Yavapai County Interim Recorder Michelle M. Burchill responded to what she said was a rapid spread of misinformation online.
She said Tuesday afternoon that there were no issues with printers or voting machines. On Tuesday morning, she said a printer at a Chino Valley polling location was not working correctly, but the issue was solved in 30 minutes.
That didn’t stop social media messages saying that there were broken machines, bad printers, and people waiting “hours” with lines of over 200 people.
“That wasn’t the case,” Burchill said, explaining that lines have been running smoothly — albeit slowly — all morning.
She asked that people remain calm and stay in line, and not get heated over waiting times: “They wanted to come out and vote in person today rather than take advantage of other opportunities. Just — please cut us a little slack.”
Deputy County Recorder Karen McCracken said earlier Tuesday that ballots will be dropped off at the recorder’s office by 8 p.m., but not to expect any initial results until late in the evening, likely after midnight.
— Joseph Darius Jaafari
12:45 p.m.: Voter reports being juggled between sites to cast ballot
At Madison Baptist Church in central Phoenix, Carol Harder said a tabulator wouldn’t count her ballot. They tried some 20 times before issuing her another ballot, which also couldn’t be counted, she said.
She was told to go to another location since this site couldn’t issue her a third ballot. At the next polling location, she was told the system showed she had counted. She returned to Madison Baptist Church where her only option was to file a provisional ballot.
“Now I have to trust that part of the system. … I totally have no faith in this,” she said walking away.
Maricopa County has reported technical issues with ballot tabulators at some 40 voting locations. Under typical circumstances, county voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results.
— Taylor Seely
Noon: More frustration at the ballot box in Maricopa County
At Desert Christian Fellowship Church in central Phoenix, many voters were frustrated with tabulators at the site not taking their ballots.
“I watched about 12 people insert their ballots into the tabulator and it not take their scans,” Missy Art said. “The workers are instructing them to insert them into the box that is so full they need to be shook to receive more ballots.”
Other voters have decided to try and spoil their ballot and vote at another site. But some have had issues with the spoil process as well.
Voters who experienced issues with the tabulators at the Desert Christian Fellowship Church location decided to try again at the Beatitudes Campus, a retirement community.
“We have two ballots floating,” Bill Mason said. “We went over the Beatitudes — they’re still showing we voted over here. We can’t vote now.”
Maricopa County officials reported problems with ballot tabulators at 20% of voting centers on Tuesday morning. At polling sites, Maricopa County voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results.
— Brenda Muñoz Murguia
11 a.m.: Voters frustrated with Maricopa County voting
Sandra Tufel, a Queen Creek resident, went to cast her ballot at the Queen Creek Library at around 7 a.m. Tuesday but said the tabulator would not scan her ballot.
She said she was given a choice of waiting or putting her ballot in a drop box for later scanning.
“I’m going to have to trust the system and trust my ballot will be counted. … It was a frustrating experience,” Tufel said.
“But I feel so sorry for the poll workers. No one was aggressive but people weren’t happy and (poll workers) have to answer to everyone.”
Maricopa County officials reported problems with ballot tabulators at 20% of voting centers on Tuesday morning. At polling sites, Maricopa County voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results.
— Lillian Boyd
10:30 a.m.: Techs trying to determine why tabulators not working
Maricopa County officials said technicians were trying to determine why ballot tabulators at about 20% of voting locations — about 40 of 223 voting centers — are experiencing problems.
“We have techs out there. We’re doing what we can to get them back online,” said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates during an impromptu news conference Tuesday morning.
Gates said the issues were not centered in one particular geographical area but were “dispersed” throughout the state’s most populous county.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said the county has not experienced this particular issue with tabulators in previous elections.
County officials are advising voters to place their ballots in a secure drop box called “Door No. 3” at the polling site if the tabulator is not working. Those ballots will remain secure and will be taken when voting ends after 7 p.m. and delivered by a bipartisan team to the county’s election tabulation center.
Richer said this is similar to the process used by other Arizona counties.
“Everyone is still getting to vote,” Gates said. “Nobody is being disenfranchised, and we’ve got redundancies in place.”
At polling sites, Maricopa County voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results.
— Anne Ryman
9:30 a.m. Voters report problems with tabulators
Maricopa County officials say 20% of voting locations are experiencing issues with the tabulators.
At the Mountain Park Health Center Baseline Clinic in south Phoenix, some voters leaving the polling place around 7 a.m. said the tabulators were not scanning some ballots.
One voter said he showed up at 6 a.m. and stayed for over an hour until his ballot finally scanned.
Some voters leaving the polling place said they dropped off their ballot in a box at the site. That’s what Jimmy R. Smith did when his ballot didn’t scan.
“I was informed that some of the votes aren’t being taken, and that you can go ahead and vote, and if it doesn’t, you can put it in a box and they’re going to come back and tabulate it later,” he said. “But you also have people sitting around, waiting, because they want to make sure that their vote is tabulated.”
Others chose not to leave their ballot in the ballot box.
Josh Erb said he plans to come back to the same site later this afternoon once he gets off work.
He also chose not to attempt to use the tabulators once he heard they were having problems. “They said that we can slide it in the machine, but I don’t want to risk it. If it’s not working, I’m not going to place my vote,” Erb said.
— Madeleine Parrish
9 a.m.: Maricopa County now says 20% voting locations having issues
Maricopa County Elections officials say 20% of the county’s voting locations are experiencing issues as of Tuesday morning. This is greater than the earlier 10% estimate the county gave.
“We’re doing what we can to get these back online. It’s not like both of the tabulators are having these issues. It may only be one (at a location),” Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates said on Tuesday morning during an impromptu news conference.
Maricopa County has 223 voting centers.
County officials advised voters that if a tabulator is not working at a site, they can still vote. They have the option of casting their ballot and placing it into a secure ballot box. Those boxes will then be taken to the county’s election center for tabulation.
At polling sites, Maricopa County voters fill out paper ballots and then insert their ballots into on-site tabulators. The tabulators count the votes and save both the ballots and the results. Once voting ends, a bipartisan team of poll workers transports the ballots to the county’s election headquarters and ballot receiving sites so that they can be securely stored.
— Anne Ryman
8:30 a.m.: Maricopa County experiencing issues at 10% of locations
As Maricopa County experienced issues at roughly 10% of voting locations Tuesday morning, officials sought to assure voters that they can still cast ballots.
Voters at impacted sites have two options: to cast their ballot via a secure box to be counted later or to go vote at a different location. Elections Department spokesperson Megan Gilbertson said poll workers are best equipped to help voters ensure their ballot is successfully cast.
“It’s important for voters to talk to the poll workers on site,” Gilbertson said.
Officials confirmed the issues were with the on-site tabulators.
As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, nearly 30,000 Maricopa County voters had cast a ballot, Gilbertson said.
— Sasha Hupka
8 a.m.: Pinal County reports no problems at polling sites
Months after a disastrous primary election, Pinal County polling sites opened without a hitch on Election Day.
County spokesperson James Daniels said officials received just nine calls within the first few hours of voting, compared with hundreds each hour in August, when the county ran out of ballots at one-quarter of its voting locations.
All of Tuesday’s calls were related to general requests for voter information, such as polling locations, Daniels said.
“They are just voter-type questions, which is what the contact center should be for,” he said.
— Sasha Hupka
7:20 a.m.: Rural voting site reports steady stream of voters
At the voting site north of Prescott in Williamson Valley, a fire and medical building was already bustling by 6 a.m. as a line formed outside.
Outside the 75-foot perimeter, where campaigners and activists can stand, a large red tent was propped up with signs supporting Senate candidate Blake Masters, while others stood outside holding signs to raise money for a proposition to raise firemen’s budgets.
By 6:30, poll workers were tending to about 20 people — which, for this area, is a lot, said Dawn Casey, the inspector at the poll site. “I’ve been here when 10 people show up,” adding that this year’s election feels different.
“This is a very rural area, lots of cowboys and farmers,” she said. “But we’re seeing a good turnout so far.”
— Joseph Darius Jaafari
7 a.m.: Burton Barr Library tabulator machine back online
Maricopa County officials said Burton Barr Library is only doing drop-off ballots as of 6 a.m. after there were issues with a ballot tabulator machine. The issue was fixed as of 7:30 a.m. County officials said the password was entered too many times, triggering built-in security measures that locked the machine. County officials said the issue was being addressed.
In the meantime, voters have three options: Drop off ballots, wait for the tabulator to come online or go to another location nearby. Find locations at http://Locations.Maricopa.vote.
— Anne Ryman
6 a.m.: Where to cast a ballot on Tuesday
Maricopa County will have 223 voting centers open Tuesday, and registered voters can cast a ballot at any of those locations. Find a list of voting locations at https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/where-to-vote.html. Wait times will be displayed on the website.
Elections officials in the state’s most populous county said lines at the polls are anticipated, with the most voter activity expected between 5 and 7 p.m.
Maricopa County officials estimate that about 250,000 to 350,000 people will vote in person in the county on Election Day,
— Anne Ryman
