Cochise County supervisors discuss 2024 ballot errors, staffing, machines and process changes

Cochise County Board of Supervisors members met in Bisbee on Feb. 6 for a work session on elections, during which interim elections officials described a mapping error that omitted a candidate from a precinct ballot in the November 2024 general election and proposed a set of procedural and equipment changes to reduce the chance of a repeat.

The discussion centered on three immediate problem areas: ballot proofing and vendor deadlines, mail-in/early ballot processing and adjudication bottlenecks, and tabulation equipment and staffing. The board heard a detailed timeline of the October incident, proposals to extend internal review time and allow candidate inspection of full ballot decks, plans to recruit more early-board staff or draw on county employees, and a request to fund new tabulators and office remodels.

"We had a very condensed timeline for that general election where we only had 3 days to go through 700 plus pages of ballots," said Mr. Hayes, an elections staff member, describing how the short proofing window contributed to errors. Hayes said staff will require at least five working days for internal review going forward, even if vendors pressure earlier deadlines.

Monique Juan Renteria, identified in the meeting as the interim elections director, reviewed the sequence after staff learned of the mapping error that left a candidate off one precinct's ballot. Renteria said she called the recorder's office during poll worker training, the vendor ES&S confirmed the mapping error, and the vendor provided a…