Maricopa County vendor accidentally mailed over 3,000 ballots early
A third-party vendor sent 3,126 mail-in ballots six days before the planned Oct. 7 mailing, but officials say the ballots remain valid.
Maricopa County announced that a third-party contractor, Runbeck Election Services, erroneously mailed out 3,126 absentee ballots on Thursday, well before the intended Oct. 7 mailing date. The mistake was discovered on Friday, and the county recorder's office consulted with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, which concluded the ballots remain legally valid and do not require reissuance. The office emphasized that the correct ballots reached the intended voters and that the early mailing only affected timing.
Voters may fill out and return the ballots in the normal manner, and any ballots received before early voting starts will stay sealed until official processing. The county stated that no voter was adversely impacted by the premature distribution.
Why it matters
Early mailing of ballots could cause confusion, but officials say the votes remain valid and unaffected.
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