Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots in Arizona, 2020

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Help desk logo notext.png
Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk
Use the buttons below to see Help Desk hubs for other years.
2022 »

Disputed results
Presidential election lawsuits and recounts
Post-election lawsuits

Frequently asked questions
General questions
Presidential election
Processing/counting mail ballots
Results and certification
Disputing resultsOfficeholder transitions

Absentee/mail-in voting analysis
Mail-in voting by state, 2016-2018
Mail-in rejection by state, 2016-2018
Uncalled races, 2018
When can states begin counting?
Processing, counting, and challenging ballots

Voting in 2020
Absentee/mail-in votingEarly votingVoter ID
Poll opening and closing times
Recount laws by state
Recount margin requirements by state
U.S. Supreme Court actions

Elections by state

In August 2020, The New York Times estimated that 80 million Americans would vote by absentee/mail-in ballot in November 2020. That would have been more than double the number who did so in November 2016.[1] The processes states use to count absentee/mail-in ballots have come under closer inspection by state officials, candidates, political parties, and the media.

This article describes the rules in Arizona for processing, counting, and rejecting absentee/mail-in ballots in effect for the November 2020 election. It includes:

  • How ballots are processed and counted
  • Whether ballots can be challenged
  • Conditions for rejecting a ballot
  • Whether voters can correct mistakes on a ballot

The 2020 election took place against a backdrop of uncertainty. Our readers had questions about what to expect in elections at all levels of government, from the casting of ballots to the certification of final results. Ballotpedia's 2020 Election Help Desk was designed to answer those questions.

Processing and counting ballots

See also: When states can begin processing and counting absentee/mail-in ballots, 2020

Upon receiving completed absentee/mail-in ballots, election officials must first process the ballots before they can be counted. Processing generally entails verifying voter signatures and physically preparing ballots for tabulation. Processing practices can vary widely from state to state. Counting entails the actual tabulation of votes.

The table below highlights key dates and deadlines related to absentee/mail-in voting in Arizona for the November 2020 election.

Absentee voting in Arizona: Nov. 3, 2020, election.

Were there limits on who can request a ballot?

No

What was the deadline for requesting a ballot by mail?

Oct. 23, 2020

Was the request deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Received

What was the deadline for returning a voted ballot by mail?

Nov. 3, 2020

Was the return deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Received

Were there notary or witness requirements?

No requirement


Processing ballots

As of November 2020, Arizona law did not specify when ballot processing may begin. State law included the following provision for processing absentee/mail-in ballots:

On receipt of the envelope containing the early ballot and the ballot affidavit, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall compare the signatures thereon with the signature of the elector on the elector's registration record. ... The recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall thereafter safely keep the affidavits and early ballots in the recorder's or other officer's office until delivered pursuant to section 16-551 and tallying of ballots shall not begin any earlier than fourteen days before election day.[2]


See law: Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 16-550. Receipt of voter's ballot; cure period.

Counting ballots

Officials in Arizona began counting absentee/mail-in ballots on October 20, 2020. As of November 2020, Arizona law included the following provision for counting absentee/mail-in ballots:

The recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall thereafter safely keep the affidavits and early ballots in the recorder's or other officer's office until delivered pursuant to section 16-551 and tallying of ballots shall not begin any earlier than fourteen days before election day.[2]


See law: Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 16-550. Receipt of voter's ballot; cure period.

Arizona law included the following provision for who may count absentee/mail-in ballots:

The board of supervisors or the governing body of the political subdivision shall appoint one or more early election boards to serve at places to be designated by the board of supervisors or the governing body to canvass and tally early election ballots. Members of early election boards shall be selected in accordance with the provisions for selecting members of regular election boards as provided in section 16-531.[2]


See law: Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 16-552. Early ballots; processing; challenges.

Arizona law included the following provision for poll watchers:

The county chairman of each political party represented on the ballot, by written appointment addressed to the early election board, may designate party representatives and alternates to act as early ballot challengers for the party. No party may have more than the number of such representatives or alternates that were mutually agreed on by each political party to be present at one time. If such agreement cannot be reached, the number of representatives shall be limited to one for each political party.[2]


See law: Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 16-552. Early ballots; processing; challenges.

Challenging ballots

Absentee/mail-in ballots may be challenged in an attempt to prevent the ballot from being counted. Ballots may be challenged for a variety of reasons, including: allegations that the voter is not qualified to vote in the election, the ballot was not received by the stated deadline, or that the voter had already voted in the same election. The methods and reasons for challenging ballots vary and are provided in state law. States without such provisions do not allow challenging absentee/mail-in ballots.

As of November 2020, Arizona law included the following provision for challenging ballots:

An early ballot may be challenged on any grounds set forth in section 16-591. All challenges shall be made in writing with a brief statement of the grounds before the early ballot is placed in the ballot box. A record of all challenges and resulting proceedings shall be kept in substantially the same manner as provided in section 16-594. If an early ballot is challenged, it shall be set aside and retained in the possession of the early election board or other officer in charge of early ballot processing until a time that the early election board sets for determination of the challenge, subject to the procedure in subsection E of this section, at which time the early election board shall hear the grounds for the challenge and shall decide what disposition shall be made of the early ballot by majority vote. If the early ballot is not allowed, it shall be handled pursuant to subsection G of this section.[2]


See law: Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 16-552. Early ballots; processing; challenges.

Arizona law included the following provision for handling challenged ballots:

Within twenty-four hours of receipt of a challenge, the early election board or other officer in charge of early ballot processing shall mail, by first class mail, a notice of the challenge including a copy of the written challenge, and also including the time and place at which the voter may appear to defend the challenge, to the voter at the mailing address shown on the request for an early ballot or, if none was provided, to the mailing address shown on the registration rolls. Notice shall also be mailed to the challenger at the address listed on the written challenge and provided to the county chairman of each political party represented on the ballot. The board shall meet to determine the challenge at the time specified by the notice but, in any event, not earlier than ninety-six hours after the notice is mailed, or forty-eight hours if the notifying party chooses to deliver the notice by overnight or hand delivery, and not later than 5:00 p.m. on the Monday following the election. The board shall provide the voter with an informal opportunity to make, or to submit, brief statements regarding the challenge. The board may decline to permit comments, either in person or in writing, by anyone other than the voter, the challenger and the party representatives. The burden of proof is on the challenger to show why the voter should not be permitted to vote. The fact that the voter fails to appear shall not be deemed to be an admission of the validity of the challenge. The early election board or other officer in charge of early ballot processing is not required to provide the notices described in this subsection if the written challenge fails to set forth at least one of the grounds listed in section 16-591 as a basis for the challenge. In that event, the challenge will be summarily rejected at the meeting of the board. Except for election contests pursuant to section 16-672, the board's decision is final and may not be appealed.[2]


See law: Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 16-552. Early ballots; processing; challenges.

Rejecting ballots

As of November 2020, Arizona law included the following provision for rejecting absentee/mail-in ballots:

The early election board shall check the voter's affidavit on the envelope containing the early ballot. If it is found to be sufficient, the vote shall be allowed. If the affidavit is insufficient, the vote shall not be allowed.[2]


See law: Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 16-552. Early ballots; processing; challenges.

Ballot curing

Ballot curing refers to the process by which voters can correct mistakes—such as a missing or mismatched signature—with an absentee/mail-in ballot so that the ballot can be counted. Ballot curing provisions lay out this process in state law. States without such provisions do not count absentee/mail-in ballots with errors.[3]

As of November 2020, Arizona law included the following provision for curing ballots:

If the signature is inconsistent with the elector's signature on the elector's registration record, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall make reasonable efforts to contact the voter, advise the voter of the inconsistent signature and allow the voter to correct or the county to confirm the inconsistent signature. The county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall allow signatures to be corrected not later than the fifth business day after a primary, general or special election that includes a federal office or the third business day after any other election. If satisfied that the signatures correspond, the recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall hold the envelope containing the early ballot and the completed affidavit unopened in accordance with the rules of the secretary of state.[2]


See law: Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 16-552. Early ballots; processing; challenges.

Rules in other states

Click on a state below to view information on processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots in that state.

More frequently asked questions about the 2020 election

Click on a question below to read the answer:

See also


Footnotes