Arizona faces Friday deadline for giving counties more time to count votes

The Arizona Legislature agreed Thursday to give counties more time to tally votes after county officials complained that a 2022 change in law would make it difficult to complete counting votes in time if the results were close enough to trigger a mandatory recount. The state faces a Friday deadline for making the fix, which would apply to Arizona’s primary this summer and general election in the fall but won’t affect the state’s March 19 presidential primary. County officials who are expecting an increase in mandatory recounts have warned for months that if they aren’t given more time, Arizona could miss federal deadlines for sending general election ballots to military and overseas voters and for certifying the state’s voting results. The bill also would move up Arizona’s primary election from Aug. 6 to July 30, altering the timeline during which voters can “cure” early ballots that are missing signatures from five business days to five calendar days, and enshrines standards for verifying ballot signatures into law. “I’m happy to say Arizona will deliver its electors on time when the election comes,” Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said.