Maricopa County Recorder says ballots are secure as primary approaches

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Election workers are counting some of the 600,000 early ballots ahead of the primary election on Tuesday. There has been a lot of talk recently about ballot safety and voter fraud. However, the Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer says he has seen no issues so far.

“If you are criticizing this process you are criticizing equally both Democrats and Republicans. We are going to make sure this election is done with integrity and done well. Wait and see what the results are; you might surprise yourself. You might be on top and you might want to change your tune a little bit,” he said.

Richer says the tabulator machines are connected to a server not connected to the internet. The people putting the ballots into the counting machines are a mix of people from all different political parties. The ballots are checked when they’re moved from room to room and recounted to ensure nothing was missed or altered.

“I’m sorry if your candidate doesn’t win. We don’t control that; we have absolutely nothing to do with that, but we want you to have as positive a voting experience as you can,” said Richer.

The polls for in-person voting open at 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Check out our Arizona’s Family voting guide by clicking here.

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