CHANDLER — Maricopa County election officials are investigating how paper trays on three ballot-on-demand printers were found open Friday morning at the Chandler-Gilbert Community College early voting site.
According to the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, an election inspector discovered the trays had been opened sometime between the close of voting Thursday and his arrival Friday. County procedures require all ballot paper to be removed from the trays overnight.
Replacement printers were sent to the campus so early voting could continue without interruption, and the original machines were taken back for a forensic examination. No voters were affected, the office said.
“While this may simply be human error, we will work with law enforcement and update the public upon completion of the investigation,” a Recorder’s Office spokesperson said in a written statement reported by Arizona’s Family and FOX 10 Phoenix.
Early voting continues statewide ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election. Officials have not announced a conclusion on whether the open trays resulted from a mistake or unauthorized access.
Sources: Arizona’s Family, FOX 10 Phoenix. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Joe Hall from Takoma Park, MD, USA / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
