Cochise supervisors urge earlier return of mail ballots; opponents warn of disenfranchisement

The Cochise County Board of Supervisors on March 25 adopted Resolution 25-02 expressing support for proposed state legislation that would require mail-in ballots to be returned by 5 p.m. on the Friday before election day, with the stated intent of reducing delays caused by signature verification of ballots dropped off on Election Day.

Board members described the change as an effort to reduce the batch of ballots that arrive at polls on election day and then require short-term, labor-intensive signature verification that can delay final tabulation. The motion passed 3-0.

Two speakers asked the board to reconsider. Allison Morse, a registered voter from Portal, said the delay in statewide results in 2024 had multiple causes — ballot length, equipment failures and other incidents — and warned against curtailing voter access. “Arizona law requires up to 10 days post election to cure provisional ballots, so it is statutorily impossible to have election results sooner,” Morse said.

Tricia Jeradette also urged the board not to support narrower return windows that could disenfranchise voters who have medical or other emergencies and cannot return a ballot earlier. Both speakers said national- and state-level groups including the Arizona Association of Counties opposed the legislative approaches under discussion.

Board members said the proposed local resolution is a statement of legislative support and would be forwarded to state lawmakers. A board member summarized the practical concern as the county’s current signature-verification workload when many voters opt to request mail ballots but then drop them off at polling places on election day, which creates a concentrated volume of ballots requiring manual review.

Action: The board voted 3-0 to adopt Resolution 25-02 supporting proposed legislation to set an earlier deadline for returned mail-in ballots; the resolution will be forwarded to the legislature.