Election observers can view signature verification process, says Maricopa County Recorder
Changes coming to Maricopa County voting law
The county recorder says the data won't be displayed and election observers can view the signature verification process.
PHOENIX - Maricopa County recorder, Justin Heap, announced key changes to the signature verification process for voters on the Active Early Voter List.
Beginning with an election in May, no party identification or personal identifying data will be displayed on the signature verification screen.
The backstory:
In the past, this wasn't allowed because of privacy concerns.
"Previously, voters were assured by election officials that no party or personally identifying data was available to signature verifiers," said Heap. "In my review of our election processes I have discovered this was not the case. Signature verification workers who scrolled down the page would still see this information on the scans of older ballots."
Maricopa Co. details ballot verification process
The election process has been in the spotlight lately, especially with mail-in ballots and how they are verified. On Feb. 14, officials with the Maricopa County Election Office showed us how the ballot signature verification process works. (2024 report)
What they're saying:
Heap says since the data will no longer be displayed, election observers will now be allowed to view the signature verification process and the change should increase trust in the final result.
"Removing that data will accomplish two important things: it brings bi-partisan observers back into the room to scrutinize the process and ensures that verifiers do not know the party affiliation of the voters whose signatures they are verifying," stated Heap. "This will be the first of many commonsense improvements we will be making to ensure that future elections in Maricopa County are run in a trustworthy, transparent, and efficient manner."
The Source: Maricopa County Recorder's office