Election officials continued to dig piles of more than 600,000 ballots across the state on Thursday, according to a tracker posted by the Arizona secretary of state.
From U.S. Senators to governors and other important statewide positions, the most high-profile positions on the ballot were too close to call. Results across the state continue to be posted throughout the day.
Maricopa County, the most populous county in the state, plans to release a major update of results Thursday night.
Here’s a recap of Wednesday’s election event.
Follow Republic reporters coverage of the Arizona midterm elections here.
Arizona’s biggest race is still out of reach.Red vs. Blue, Provincial vs. City Vote
Here’s a rundown of Tuesday’s election events. | | Wednesday’s election event.
11:30 a.m.: New leader in Peoria mayoral race
Businessman Jason Beck took a slight lead in Wednesday’s race for mayor of Peoria after all mail-in and same-day ballots were tallied.
He’s playing against longtime Peoria Council member Brigitte Binsbacher.
Beck trailed Binsbacher in the first round of results, but took the lead around 1:30 a.m. when the same day’s votes were flooded by Maricopa County election officials.
At his campaign night party, Beck said he was confident the later results would push him forward.
“There’s nothing left to do. I tried as hard as I could,” Beck joked, knocking on doors in three pairs of shoes to rally support.
In the council elections, challenger Jennifer Crawford narrowly edged incumbent Vicky Hunt for a council seat in the Acacia District of Southern Peoria. Incumbent Brad Shaffer led challenger Diane Douglas to win a seat on the Mesquite District Council in Northern Peoria.
— Taylor Seely and Corinna Vanek
10:30 AM: Maricopa County Ballot Hand Count Begins (Saturday)
Hand counting for select races and votes in Maricopa County will begin on Saturday.
Republican, Democratic and Libertarian party chairs decided which districts and ballots would be reviewed Wednesday night.
According to Maricopa County, this is an important step to ensure the accuracy of the 2022 general election results.
On Election Day, about 30% of polling stations in Maricopa experienced widespread problems with printers and machines that count voters’ ballots.
Cochise County officials were proceeding with a handcount of all ballots cast in Tuesday’s election, despite a court ruling prohibiting it.
A board of auditors on Wednesday allowed its attorneys to appeal that ruling to the Arizona Supreme Court, complicating the timeline for when or if the controversial count will actually occur. .
— Katherine Rieger and Mary Jo Pitzle
9:40 a.m.: Maricopa School District Funding Measures Passed
Twenty school districts in Maricopa County have fundraising actions on their midterm election ballots, with many passing as of Wednesday night.
The measure called on voters to approve slated funding for projects as diverse as sports and extracurricular programs, teacher salaries, school buses, furniture and technology.
Early results may indicate a relief for school districts in hopes of completing capital projects and increasing budgets for operating expenses.
Maricopa County elections officials will continue to update counts over the next few days as ballots are processed.
Property owners pay for bonds and priority through property taxes. Bonds are a type of debt assumed and used by districts for long-term capital projects such as new buildings, facilities and renovations.
— Renata Kuro and Jana Knitchov
8:50 a.m.: Republicans likely to retain control of Arizona House
Republicans are on track to retain control of the Arizona House of Representatives, with the vote continuing on Wednesday.
At stake is not only the continuation of decades of Republican dominance, but also the potential rise of a more conservative Congress, bolstered by pro-Trump candidates.
Democrats ran six candidates in five legislative districts designed as competitive by last year’s redistricting process.
Wednesday night’s results showed all six leading at least one of their Republican competitors in each race. If that and other results hold up, including a potential upset by the Republican candidate, Republicans will maintain the same one-seat advantage in the House.
more:Republicans remain on track to retain control of Arizona House of Representatives
— Ray Stern
8:00 a.m.: Cochise County defies judge’s hand-counting order
Cochise County officials proceeded to hand count all ballots cast in Tuesday’s election, despite a court ruling prohibiting it.
Meanwhile, the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday allowed its attorneys to appeal that ruling to the Arizona Supreme Court, complicating the timeline for when or if the controversial count will actually occur. Did.
Recorder David Stevens has granted an order prohibiting the county from manually counting all ballots. It is said that
“You have to drive like it’s going to happen,” Stevens said, noting that the law requires hand-counting to begin within 24 hours after polls close on Election Day. did.
Four races are included in the hand count.
Stevens said that without proceedings on Wednesday, critics could argue the county missed the window to begin an unorthodox full count.
“I am between a rock and a hard place,” he said.
Attorneys for the Arizona Retired Americans Alliance said handcounts were suspended in that case, but were unaware of any plans to continue, and declined to comment on what action, if any, the plaintiffs would take.
— Mary Jo Pitzle
