Five polling places in metro Phoenix still had voters in line after midnight during Arizona’s botched presidential primary two weeks ago, including one location where the final ballot was cast at nearly 1 a.m., according to county records. The Associated Press obtained a document from the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office that shows the time when each of the 60 polling sites closed in the March 22 primary, providing a more complete picture of the abysmal wait voters experienced. Votes were still being cast past 10 p.m. in 20 of the 60 locations, meaning residents had to wait at least three hours to choose a candidate in the White House race. The polls closed at 7 p.m., but anyone who was in line at that point could vote.
One location in Phoenix saw its last voter just two minutes before 1 a.m. Fourteen of the 20 sites that had people voting past 10 p.m. were in Phoenix or its western suburbs, while six were in the eastern part of the Phoenix metro area.
The Justice Department request was disclosed as Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan certified results of the presidential primary. Reagan said her office and the Legislature may consider reviewing proposed changes in the way counties run future elections.
Proposed changes to the way the state ran its elections previously required federal approval, but a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court decision threw out that portion of the Voting Rights Act. The provision required Arizona and all or part of 14 other states to get Justice Department approval, or “pre-clearance.”
Full Article: Records reveal scope of wait times in Arizona primary | State | azdailysun.com.