Keith Schiller
On May 5, Pinal County election officials, headed by Dana Lewis, Recorder for Pinal County, and with our Supervisor Jeffrey McClure led a tour for Saddlebrooke residents of the state-of-the-art election headquarters in Florence.
Concerns about the integrity of the voting procedures and safeguards so that only qualified voters can cast ballots have besieged election officials in recent years. Pinal County officials responded with resolute action to ensure election integrity and adopted a policy of “radical transparency” to address concerns the public may have. These efforts displayed fully in the course of the tour. The following are among the security actions taken to protect that process and make it transparent:
* Starting in May 2023 Pinal County constructed a large and modern $30 million election facility opened in 2024 that is designed to accommodate the rapidly growing voter population in the fastest growing county in the United States west of the Mississippi. Supervisor McClure remarked, “We planned not only for the future of our expanding number of voters but studied extensively and implemented procedures to protect the integrity of the voting process.” The Pinal facility and voting integrity protection have been recognized by election officials in other states and counties as establishing the gold standard.
* All early ballot transfer boxes and election day equipment cages containing ballots have GPS trackers attached so that ballots can be tracked, accounted for, and audited to secure the chain of custody. This action arose following a false claim that ballot boxes were lost in the desert.
* Computers and systems that count ballots exist within dedicated systems with no internet access. The Pinal facility runs all dedicated-system wires along readily visible overhead baskets. Visitors cannot take cell phones into the counting room.
* Voter registrations are tested against Arizona Driver’s License indicators of U.S. citizenship, and further documentation is required when issues of citizenship or DMV document integrity exist.
* Extensive video controls oversee all parts of the election facility and voter drop boxes. Anyone with doubts can view the videos.
* Bipartisan observation at each step of the election process.
* Promoting openness, the election facility includes the so-called “fishbowl” in which observers can see into the rooms where ballots are sorted and counted as well as the television monitors of cameras within the facility.
Barbara Miller, resident in Unit 44A, remarked, “I came away from the tour and presentation highly impressed by extensive protections installed in the voting process. The openness of the process and enthusiasm of the staff were like a breath of fresh air.”
Resident, Bill Messick, added, “It is exceedingly evident that every vote is reviewed for legitimacy by a bipartisan process and counted accurately in a timely and cost-efficient manner. Congratulations to Pinal County for getting it right!”
Following the election facilities tour, Supervisor McClure with his administrative assistant, Trecia Moore (a former high school teacher), hosted a lunch for the Saddlebrooke visitors in which all questions were answered and a wide range of local topics discussed.
To arrange a tour simply follow the link /www.pinal.gov/258/Elections.