Arizonans celebrated rapid results for the 2024 primary election cycle thanks to the historic election reform bill passed by the Arizona State Legislature.
For the first time, HB 2785 required elections officials to continue tabulation through the night “without delay until complete.” It also clarified that elections officials may begin tabulating early ballots upon receipt, with robust protections to ensure that vote totals were not prematurely accessed. Now, just the day after the election, results are known for most major races, reducing unnecessary delay and limiting the time during which administrative or other errors could occur.
In addition, due to a year-long joint investigation by Chairman Alexander Kolodin of the Committee on Oversight, Accountability and Big Tech and Chairwomen Jacqueline Parker and Wendy Rogers of the House and Senate Committees on Elections, partisan observers are in place at Runbeck for the first time. This, combined with HB 2785’s new requirement to hard count election-day drop-offs on site, helped to facilitate a smoother and more secure operation of that part of the process as well.
“The House Committee on Municipal Oversight and Elections is thrilled to see our historic elections reform bill is paying off with a better experience for Arizona voters than ever before,” said Kolodin. “I am very grateful to all of my colleagues, especially Speaker Toma, Senator Rogers, Representative Heap, and Representative Terech, for being wonderful partners to help bring about this historic reform.
“We are grateful to the election workers who, for the first time, labored through the night to hard count election day drop-offs and tabulate ballots. Voters can see that the good work of the legislature has been paying off in terms of faster results, a smoother process, and a more secure system! Seeing these concrete gains only reinforces our resolve to continue to improve upon the efficiency, security, and integrity of Arizona’s election system.”
