Arizona’s 2-page ballots could make for long lines on Election Day

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona election officials are warning there could be delays at polling places and vote-counting machines could jam as voters fill out a multipage ballot, an unusual occurrence in the presidential battleground state.

The majority of Arizona voters will receive a two-page ballot that is printed on both sides, marking the first time in nearly two decades that ballots in the state’s most populous county have been longer than a single page.

Officials in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, say nine of the state’s 15 counties are ditching single-sheet ballots this year in favor of newly designed 17-inch paper ballots. They will vary slightly by county because of the number of local races but will include an average of 79 contests for local, state and federal offices, as well as statewide ballot propositions.

While many other states routinely deal with multipage ballots without issue, any change in voting in Arizona makes for fertile ground for legal challenges and the spread of election conspiracy theories.

The state has been a hotbed of election misinformation since former President Donald Trump narrowly lost to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Public officials who deny the results of that election have populated local election offices and county commissions.

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