Many Arizona schools not hosting polling centers after ‘chaotic’ recent elections: Report – Washington Examiner
Recent reports indicate that many schools in Arizona, particularly in Maricopa County, are choosing not to serve as polling locations for the upcoming elections. This decision follows what has been described as “chaotic” and “overwhelming” experiences during the local elections in November 2023. Specifically, Mesa Public Schools has decided to keep its doors closed to voters this election cycle, reflecting a broader trend amidst ongoing contentious elections in the state.
Historically, schools have played a significant role in facilitating voting; in 2016, approximately 37% of polling places in Maricopa County were located in schools. However, recent numbers suggest a drastic decline, with only about 14% of polling locations slated to be in schools for the November elections. This shift highlights the ongoing challenges and sentiments among educational institutions regarding their involvement in the electoral process amidst these divisive times.
Many Arizona schools not hosting polling centers after ‘chaotic’ recent elections: Report
Arizona has been a hotbed for continuous elections up and down the ballot in recent years, and one of the most synonymous locations for voters to cast their ballots on Election Day are largely opting out this year because of it.
Most schools in Arizona’s largest county, Maricopa County, do not want to act as voting centers, as the Grand Canyon State continues to see bitterly contested elections, according to a report from the Washington Post.
The report claims that Mesa Public Schools is not opening its doors to voters after a “very chaotic” and “overwhelming” local election in November 2023, Scott Thompson, assistant superintendent for the school district, told the outlet.
In 2016, roughly 37% of polling locations in Maricopa County were schools, but the report alleges that so far, only 14% of polling locations in November will be schools.
Maricopa County has been at the center of voter fraud allegations and election misconduct levied by Republicans in recent years. None of the claims about overwhelming voter fraud sufficient to alter the results of any recent elections has been proven in court by those challenging the races.
The fiercest challenges came from former President Donald Trump in 2020, after he lost the state to President Joe Biden, and from Kari Lake in 2022, after she lost the gubernatorial election to now-Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ).
Arizona is slated to have two hotly contested races in November, with the presidential race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris and the Senate race between Lake and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).
The Cook Political Report has rated the presidential race in Arizona as “lean Republican,” while the Senate race is rated as “lean Democratic.”
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