An election worker analyzes a ballot in the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Dylan Wickman/Cronkite News)
PHOENIX – Love letters are typically sent in February, and they’re usually sweet. But, for Pinal County Recorder Dana Lewis, what she called “love letters” were sent to her office ahead of this election cycle and did not have lovely intonations.
She said her office would receive them through responses to notices the recorder is required to send out by law.
“In the event that they need to return information back to a different department, we have received interesting writing on said notices, whether it be a 90-day notice or an early ballot,” Lewis said.
Other counties around Arizona have faced similar issues, and even threats. Strategies they have used to take on the issue included direct outreach to voters expressing concerns.
Messages sent to Lewis’ office have sometimes included expletives directed toward her.
“I think the interesting thing is for them to cross out my name and call me ‘s— head Lewis,” she said. “After doing this for enough years, you do tend to build up a thicker skin.”
Lewis spoke of some voters who would reach out through notices and say “everything is corrupt,” communicating a lack of confidence in the election process. She said her office attempts to reach out to them to answer questions and provide reassurance.
“Sometimes we’re able to reach out and have a direct contact with those voters, which I would like to believe then has a positive impact on our communities,” Lewis said.
Her office has used what she called “radical transparency” while still ensuring the safety of election workers and officials. This has included the ability to watch the tabulation process at Pinal County’s new, state of the art elections facility, which opened in June.
“Going into our midterm elections of 2026, we’ll be able to take some of the best practices and get them written down and ensure that they’re there for our staff and voters,” Lewis said.
Elsewhere in the state, recorders faced bomb threats. At least 10 Arizona counties were targeted by false bomb threats on Election Day, according to the Arizona Mirror.
One of those was Cochise County, where David Stevens is the recorder. He said the threat delayed his office for around an hour before normal operations resumed.
“Law enforcement came down, cleared the building out, we came back in. … That was the only abnormal thing I recall for the whole month leading up to the election,” Stevens said.
He said his office needs to prepare for more physical observers in its workspace for future elections.
“There’s been a huge push to put people actually in our workplace, which causes some concern. It hasn’t happened yet, but going forward, it probably will,” Stevens said. “We have a small office. I’ve only got six employees. That makes it difficult to have twice as many people then roaming around because they have to be escorted.”
Hundreds of observers from different political parties were present at Maricopa County elections activities.
Safety and security went well there, according to Maricopa County Communications Director Fields Moseley.
Moseley said via email that some county officials and workers “received aggressive emails and voicemails,” which were then forwarded to law enforcement.
However, Moseley said fewer of those types of emails and calls were received this year than in 2020 and 2022.
In response to a question about future issues, he said “any time names and images of election workers are released on social media, it can lead to threats, and if any are received they will be investigated by law enforcement.”
Navajo County didn’t have “any issues at all,” according to its recorder’s office.
Counties around the state have finished tabulating ballots, and Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes presented the certified 2024 election results on Monday.
A Brennan Center for Justice report from early May found 38% of local election officials report experiencing threats, harassment, or abuse.
Midterm elections will take place in 2026. Arizona will choose a new governor, attorney general, secretary of state and superintendent of public instruction, among others offices.
