Runbeck Erroneously Mails 3,126 Early Ballots in Maricopa County

Runbeck Election Services erroneously mailed 3,126 early ballots to voters in Maricopa County on October 1, six days before the scheduled start of early voting on October 7. The Phoenix-based logistics company reported that a pallet of vote-by-mail packets requiring manual processing was accidentally included in mail released to the USPS.

Maricopa County Recorder's Office confirmed that the ballots were sent to the correct voters and remain valid. After consulting with the Maricopa County Attorney, officials stated that voters who received the ballots may complete and return them normally. Any ballots received before the official start of early voting will be stored securely and unopened until processing begins.

The Maricopa County Recorder's Office will begin inspecting Runbeck's processes on Monday to implement controls to prevent future errors. Sam Stone, Chief of Staff for the Recorder's Office, noted that there is no reason for voters to feel discomfort about the ballots.