The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the County Attorney's Office are getting national recognition for their role in overseeing and ensuring free and fair elections in 2020.
At today’s board meeting, the National Association of Counties (NACO), which promotes best practices in county government, presented the Board with commemorative pens for their public service and leadership during the 2020 election cycle.
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“Thank you for standing up for our county’s unimpeachable record in conducting free and fair elections and accepting the outcome,” Jonathan Shuffield, associate legislative director for NACO, told board members at today’s meeting. “Thank you for showing true political courage by putting our democracy first.”
“I’m proud of our team for running great elections in a challenging environment in 2020 and for the openness they’ve shown as people have questioned our processes and procedures,” said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers, District 1. “The Board’s goal has always been to conduct elections with integrity, and to do it in a non-partisan way. I appreciate NACo recognizing the efforts we’ve taken to serve all voters.”
The Board of Supervisors and Recorder’s Office shared election responsibilities in 2020. In the midst of a pandemic, more than two million Maricopa County voters participated in the General Election, an 80.51% turnout of the nearly 2.6 million eligible voters.
On Election Day, voters were able to choose from 175 locations versus the one assigned location in 2016. About 14,000 voters per hour checked into one of Maricopa County’s Vote Centers on Election Day. Lines were manageable, with more than 120 Vote Centers having peak wait times of no more than a few minutes. Nearly 92 percent of the voters that participated in the General Election did so early. With the expanded options, voters could cast an early ballot at up to 150 early and emergency voting locations, vote by mail, or drop off an early ballot at one of more than 20 secure ballot drop boxes. Due to COVID-19, the Elections Department also added new, drive through drop boxes in the parking lots of sport stadiums across the county.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office defended the County and the Elections Department against lawsuits related to the election. None of the claims of fraud or foul play has ever been substantiated.
“NACO appreciates the leadership you’ve shown as local officials,” added Shuffield, a Maricopa County resident. “It really feels good to know people of integrity oversee my local government. Thank you for your service to the community and the example you set.”
