Maricopa County Recorder: 600K+ ballots already signatured verified one week before election day

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - It’s the sprint to the finish line in Arizona and across the country as candidates try to reach undecided voters.

In Arizona, it’s an election season, not an election day. Early voting started nearly three weeks ago on October 12th. As of late Oct. 31, 616,361 ballot packets have been received and signatures verified in Maricopa County alone, according to the Maricopa County Recorder.

In 2018′s midterm election, nearly 65% of voters participated statewide. So, what will turnout be for this midterm? “I think what we’re anticipating we’ll have a decent amount, it’ll be in the mid 60s, probably low 60% range, but we just won’t see that same record, high number that we saw in the presidential election,” Paul Bentz with HighGround said.

On Wednesday, former President Barack Obama will be in the Valley campaigning for Democrat Katie Hobbs and Mark Kelly. Official details still haven’t been released yet. We asked Bentz if high-profile visits make a difference to voters.

“When we have national figures, the coverage of it, the focus, the emphasis, the enthusiasm is helpful, just like having Trump show up for the right. I think having Obama showing up for some of these Democratic candidates. It’s also one of the first times we’re really seeing Kelly and Hobbs together,” Bentz said. “If they take an optimistic message, if they take a tone about turning people out and voting, that can be very helpful in the final week here to get some enthusiasm going.”

If you have a mail-in ballot at home, today is the recommended deadline to mail it back. The ballot has to be to your county recorder’s office by 7 p.m. on Election Night in order to be counted. If you need more time, you can always drop it off at a ballot drop box location or a Vote Center over the next week.

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