Maricopa County officials say election results will take time

PHOENIX (AZFamily) – The Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC) is a hub of activity on Election Day Tuesday, and will likely remain that way for most of the two weeks.

The ballot papers for the district are counted in the MCTEC. Officials say expect to wait for results this year.

Maricopa County Registrar Stephen Richer said counting ballots will take 10 to 14 days. The schedule is consistent with previous election cycles.

Inside the building, bipartisan teams of Republicans, Democrats and independents are working overtime to process all the ballots. Richer said about 100 people were working at any given time.

Teams are responsible for removing the two-sided ballot from the envelope and checking that it is undamaged and that both sides are present.

As of Monday afternoon, about 1.4 million ballots had been verified with signatures in Maricopa County. That’s almost 2.6 million registered voters in the county.

Polls close on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. It is important to note that voters who are in line at 7:00 p.m. will still be allowed to vote.