Arizona recorder apologizes to voters angry over long lines

Arizona voters frustrated by long lines and too few polling places during last week's primary election voiced their concerns Monday during a hearing of the Arizona House Elections Committee.

Many people shared their experiences in Maricopa County, the state's most populous county, where the number of polling places dropped from 200 in 2012 to just 60 this year, The New York Times reports — one site for every 21,500 voters. Critics say in minority-heavy areas like south Phoenix, some voters had to wait in line for hours, while people in affluent places like north Scottsdale did not have to wait as long. One man said his daughter had to leave her polling place because the line was too long and she had to go to work, while a Baptist preacher said he brought water, fruit, and granola bars to people waiting in long lines and urged them not to give up, saying, "Our right to vote is sacred and we have to keep fighting for it." Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell, a Republican who has held the office since 1988, apologized for the lengthy waits, adding, "I can't go back and undo it."

Election officials said they used data from 2008 to figure out how many polling places to open in 2016, but this year, fewer people mailed in their ballots, and more showed up to vote in person. Thousands of independents also tried to vote, not knowing that Arizona has closed presidential primaries. These were some of the first changes made in Arizona since the Supreme Court annulled a provision of the Voting Rights Act that required federal approval for modifications in elections rules and requirements, The Times reports, and the mayor of Phoenix has sent a letter to the Justice Department asking for a federal investigation.

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