Notable County: Maricopa County, Arizona-Part I

Return to Election Data Dispatches.

12-20-12

We return yet again to Maricopa County, Arizona and the plentiful data its county recorder’s office makes publicly available on a regular basis.

The county and the state received a great deal of attention for the length of time it took to process provisional and absentee ballots this past November. As noted in the county’s post-election report, though, the processing — as well as other post-election tasks — actually took one day less than in 2008, even though there were over 20,000 more provisional ballots cast in 2012 than in 2008.

A closer analysis offers more detail:

  • The more than 120,000 provisional ballots were the most the county has ever seen and were 9 percent of all ballots cast, higher than both the 7 percent rate in 2008 and 6 percent in 2004.
  • Of the ballots issued, nearly 100,000, or 81 percent, were counted compared with 71 percent counted in 2008.
  • Nearly half – almost 60,000 - of the ballots issued were cast by voters who requested but did not return an early ballot. This was a significant increase over the 25,000 issued for this reason in 2008, making up approximately one-quarter of all 2012 provisional ballots cast.

In our next dispatch we will examine the impact of online voter registration in the county.

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Article

37 Scientists Pioneering the Future of Biomedical Research

Quick View
Article

Biomedical researchers are at the heart of nearly every medical advancement. From cutting-edge cancer treatments to breakthrough discoveries about emerging viruses, these scientists use creativity and ingenuity to explore new horizons in human health and medicine. And for nearly 40 years, The Pew Charitable Trusts has supported more than 1,000 early-career researchers committed to this work.

Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics

Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?