All eyes on Arizona’s Maricopa County as authorities increase security and transparency

ARIZONA, United States — The outcome of the United States election is being closely watched in seven swing states, including this one where officials are stepping up security and transparency efforts to prevent a repeat of 2020.

Next Tuesday, all eyes will literally be on Nate Young, chief information officer for the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, and his team as voters will have the chance to watch ballots being counted.

“You can see our 21 livestream cameras that we have at our Maricopa Tabulation Center, which allow (people) to see the process as it progresses. If you return your ballot to us, you can actually see exactly what happens,” Young told reporters in his office on Thursday.

He said his team is using 2020 as a lesson by increasing security and fighting against malicious information.

“Based on what we learned from the 2020 election, we did a few additional things to make sure that not only the people who work for us are safe doing (their job), but also the building itself. We added permit fencing to the Tabulation Building. We also included the separate temporary fencing we put up and it is there now. We have strong cybersecurity measures in place to ensure that the county resources and network we use for the voter registration system are not compromised. “We are also conducting a series of exercises before this election session where we try out scenarios that could create problems for us,” he said.

He explained that it would take days to process the counting of votes collected there.

“The reason it’s taking some time to count ballots is because of the current law regarding the books in Arizona. We’re actually one of the states that can get early voting on election day. We’re expecting over 300,000 in absentee ballots,” he said.

“We have to go through the process of checking those signatures. We also have to have a five-day cure period, so if someone signs a ballot and we can’t prove that it’s their signature and we have a question about that signature, we have to give them five days to prove it’s their signature.” “And I ask them to contact us to say they are ready,” he added.

Maricopa County is the third-largest voting district, with more than 2.6 million voters registered through Oct. 30.

“We were never able to get a 100 percent count on election day, but we were back to Arizona being a swing state. “People and the media are not going to call Arizona because our margins are too narrow and the margins of victory are too narrow,” he explained.

With just three days until United States Election Day, the battle for American voters has intensified as the race for the White House between US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and Republican former President Donald Trump intensifies.

Arizona was previously considered a red state favoring Republicans, but is now considered one of the seven swing states.

Young said he and his team ensure accurate information is available to the public.

“We’re trying to get as much information out to people as possible, especially with the two-page ballots we have to work with right now, which is new for Maricopa County voters. We’ve never had to deal with more than a one-page ballot in 20 years, so information on what this is going to entail for the voter.” “Acquiring it was a challenge for us,” he said.

Meanwhile, he praised his dedicated staff for the tremendous work they do.

“They don’t have to work here. They could probably find another job that is much less stressful and a little less anxiety provoking at times, but they are here for a purpose. They are here to protect democracy and provide Maricopa County voters with the most opportunity they can to vote and vote for the candidates they support,” Young said.

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a live interview with U.S. commentator Tucker Carlson during the finale of the Tucker Carlson Live Tour at Desert Diamond Arena on October 31, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo: AFP)