Pinal County First in Arizona to Report Election Day Results, Certifies 2024 Vote

Board Certifies Election Canvass

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Friday to approve the 2024 canvass general election results. Supervisors Serdy, Miller, and Chairman Goodman voted in favor, while Supervisors Cavanaugh and Miller were absent, with Miller away visiting family members.

Voter Participation Matches 2020 Record with Higher Total Votes

Pinal County achieved a 74.86% voter turnout in the 2024 general election, matching the percentage from the 2020 presidential election but with a higher number of total votes cast. County Recorder Dana Lewis reported that 211,595 voters participated in the 2024 election compared to 186,319 in 2020, showing growth in the county’s voting population.

Early Voting Dominates Ballot Cast Methods

Over two-thirds of ballots cast came through early voting, with Lewis reporting that 67% of votes were submitted before Election Day. The Active Early Voting List (AVIL) showed particularly strong participation, with 84% of registered AVIL voters casting ballots.

Provisional Ballots Show Declining Trend

According to Lewis’s presentation, provisional ballots made up less than 1% of total ballots cast in the election. A provisional ballot is a temporary ballot given to voters whose eligibility needs to be verified before their vote can be counted, such as when a person isn’t registered in the county or shows up at the wrong precinct. The county has seen a steady decrease in provisional ballots over the past six years, which officials attribute to the implementation of electronic poll books and improved voter communications.

Lewis explained that when provisional ballots were rejected, it was primarily because voters were not registered in the county. She noted that Arizona does not have same-day voter registration, requiring voters to be registered 29 days before an election. In addition, while some voters chose not to go to their correct voting location, Lewis reported that hundreds of voters were successfully redirected to their proper precincts.

“USPS Undeliverable” ballots refer to early ballots that were mailed to voters but were returned to the election office because the postal service was unable to deliver them to the addressed location. In Pinal County’s 2024 election, 1,618 early ballots fell into this category.

County Maintains Precinct-Based System

Unlike other Arizona counties that have moved to vote centers, Pinal County continues to operate under a precinct-based voting model. During the presentation to the Board of Supervisors, officials noted that this traditional approach yielded faster vote counting results, with Pinal being the first county in Arizona to upload initial Election Day results.

Supervisor Serdy highlighted this achievement during the meeting, emphasizing the efficiency of the precinct-based system despite requiring more detailed organization.

System Faces Both Praise and Criticism

While county officials reported successful election administration, some challenges were acknowledged. County Manager Leo Lew noted that the election phone lines experienced heavy call volumes during peak times, creating accessibility issues for some voters.

“The voter registration team fielded over 1,857 calls in a 12-hour period, the pole worker hotline 435, and citizen contact center 385,” said County Recorder Dana Lewis, highlighting the high volume of calls received during the election period. The IT department is working to address these concerns for future elections.

During public comments, a Casa Grande resident who worked at two different precincts over the past two elections, supported maintaining precinct-based voting but called for several reforms, including:

• Making Election Day a state holiday
• Reducing the 28-day early voting period
• Requiring mail-in ballots to be submitted 4-5 days before Election Day
• Implementing hand counting at precincts before ballot transport

Looking Forward

The election demonstrated Pinal County’s ability to handle increased voter participation while maintaining its traditional voting model. However, the mix of praise and suggested reforms highlights ongoing discussions about how to best serve the county’s growing voting population while ensuring both efficiency and public confidence in the election process.