2020 Voting - Arizona
2020 Voting - Arizona
In the Arizona primary today, fewer Arizonans voted in person this year. However, the number of mail-in and early ballots exceeded total vote counts from the 2016 and 2018 primary elections. A change in state law allowed election officials to start tallying incoming ballots 14 days before Tuesday's primary rather than the usual seven.
Many voters dropped off their mail-in ballots rather than voting the traditional way Tuesday. One voting place in south Phoenix had two separate lines, one for mail-in ballots and one for in-person voters. They also had a drop-off site outside for people to drive up and drop off their ballots. Regular mail-in and drop off boxes are the way all-mail voting in Utah and Colorado do it.
Nearly 100 vote centers were open across metro Phoenix. Registered voters could cast a ballot at any of the locations. the county typically has about 500 places to vote, and voters have to report to their assigned precinct location.
This is the first time the county has conducted an all vote-center primary election. Voters could cast a ballot at any location and not only their assigned precinct. Polling places largely did not have lines, which in some elections in Maricopa County (Phoenix) in past years. Poll workers wore masks, face shields and gloves. Most voters wore masks as well, and some wore gloves.
As far as results, in the Rep primary for U.S. Senate Martha McSally won over Daniel McCarthy. McCarthy walked through his supporters party for him greeting supporters tailed by a team of security guards. McCarthy had a handgun tucked in the back of his pants' waistband. Masks and physical space were scarce. McCarthy told an Arizona Republic reporter and a photographer to remove their masks. “It’s all a hoax," he said. “Stop spreading fear.” Arizona's confirmed Covid cases are over 181,000 with over 3800 deaths. McSally's lead over McCarthy was over 260,000 votes.
In the race for Maricopa County sheriff, former Sheriff
Joe Arpaio and his former deputy chief, Jerry Sheridan, were virtually tied in a four-way race in the Republican primary for sheriff.
Arizona officially became a battleground state in 2018, when McSally lost her 2018 Senate bid to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema. (Gov. Doug Ducey later appointed McSally to complete the late Sen. John McCain’s term.) Both McSally and Mark Kelly (D) have already spent north of $20 million on their campaigns and McSally still has $11 million to spend, while Kelly has $21 million. On top of that, independent campaign committees are expected to spend tens of millions more before the race is settled in November.
Medicaid Expansion Referendum - Missouri voters approved Medicaid expansion by 53 to 46 percent, becoming the 38th state to expand. Medicaid eligibility would expand to roughly 230,000 more low-income Missourians. Oklahoma voters approved Medicaid expansion on July 1. Medicaid expansion will likely help drive down the state's 14% uninsured rate, the second highest in the nation after Texas with enrollment potentially climbing even higher as millions lose their jobs amid the pandemic.
