Arizona Republicans wanted to hand-count ballots. Then they saw the price tag — and the errors. | Jane C. Timm/NBC
The Mohave County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 against adopting a hand-counting process for ballots in the 2024 elections after discovering that it would cost over $1.1 million and result in inaccurate results. Some conservatives, including allies of former President Donald Trump, have advocated for hand-counting as a way to ensure election accuracy, but Mohave County’s experience showed that it is expensive, impractical, and potentially unreliable. The test run of hand-counting 850 test ballots resulted in errors, including bored and tired staffers making mistakes, messy handwriting in tallies, and other issues. The total cost for the process, including staffing, security, and venue rental, was deemed too high and impractical for the county’s projected budget deficit. Read Article