Rebekah L. Sanders

The Republic | azcentral.com

Turnout was historically light for this year's presidential election in Maricopa County

Nearly 75 percent of registered voters cast 1.6 million ballots

Voters hit the snooze button on Election Day, according to final Maricopa County election numbers, put to sleep perhaps by two of the most unpopular presidential candidates in modern history, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. 

Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell said Monday that 74.4 percent of registered ​voters cast 1.6 million ballots.  It was the county's lowest voter turnout during a presidential general election in 20 years — the last time a Clinton was on the ballot. ( Then-President Bill Clinton was the last Democrat to carry Arizona). 

Purcell, a Republican who lost re-election Nov. 8, presented the general-election canvass to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for the final time of her 28-year career. 

Democrat Adrian Fontes will take office Jan. 1.  The board approved the official results unanimously. 

More people actually voted: Although the percentage of registered voters who turned out was low this year, more people actually voted compared to the last four elections.  Likely contributors: population growth and aggressive voter registration drives.  And maybe, interest in the election after all?  Registrations increased by about 300,000 between 2016 and the last presidential election, leading to an increase of more than 200,000 votes. 

Although the percentage of registered voters who turned out was low this year, more people actually voted compared to the last four elections.  Likely contributors: population growth and aggressive voter registration drives.  And maybe, interest in the election after all?  Registrations increased by about 300,000 between 2016 and the last presidential election, leading to an increase of more than 200,000 votes.  Early ballots are the lion's share: Nearly 80 percent of ballots were mail-in, Purcell said, noting early voters participated at a higher rate than in the past. " Arizona has always been heavy on the mail-in ballots," she said. 

Thousands of ballots rejected: About 15,250 of the nearly 37,000 provisional ballots, about 41 percent, were not counted because of various reasons, such as the person was not registered to vote or voted at the wrong polling place.  A fraction of the early ballots, about 1,440 out of roughly 1.25 million, were rejected because voters did not sign their envelopes or the envelope signatures did not match their voter-registration signatures. 

Need for funding? 

Supervisor Steve Chucri, a Republican, asked if the board should have provided more funding.  The board this year supported cost-cutting measures for the March presidential-preference election in the wake of cuts to election funding by the state Legislature. 

Democrats and civic groups have blasted the board for not spending more.  Just before Election Day, Democratic Supervisor Steve Gallardo told Purcell he would support additional funding for election equipment.  Fontes has promised to lobby for a bigger budget. 

"More resources can always help, but I don't know that it is critical necessarily," Purcell said Monday.  She noted the vote count took a week because of the high number of early ballots that must be verified and processed. 

"Can we throw more resources at that?  I think we can, and we did," she said. 

The cost-saving plan for the March presidential-preference election crumbled when fewer polling places led to lines as long as five hours.  Public outrage over the waits likely contributed to Purcell's loss.  But in November, with more than 600 polling places instead of 60, voting largely went smoothly. 

Rise in legal challenges

The story of this election was the "tremendous" number of lawsuits that hampered regular elections work, said Elections Director Karen Osborne, a Democrat who retires Dec. 30.  Fontes has said he will launch a national search for a new county elections director. 

One of the biggest courtroom challenges came from the Democratic National Committee, which claimed the Recorder's Office infringed on voter rights by not providing enough polling places in March.  The Recorder's Office settled part of the suit by agreeing to some changes. 

Another lawsuit was over the hotly contested 5th Congressional District GOP primary in August, in which state Sen. Andy Biggs won in a recount by 27 votes. 

Lines worse elsewhere? 

Supervisor Andy Kunasek, a Republican, said he was in New York on Election Day and saw lines wrapped around city blocks. 

"I was shocked. ...  It's something you never see in the media out here.  I guess some issues are sometimes contrived or focused on for the wrong reasons," he said. 

"Some people celebrate lines," Purcell responded. 

"You probably don't get credit for all the great things and the issues that never occurred that you avoided.  That's a long-winded thank you for all you've done," Kunasek said.