Audio By Carbonatix
Missed your chance to vent about the chaos and delays of last month’s Presidential Preference Election in Arizona?
Then head out to one of three public hearings in the Phoenix area starting on Monday and give Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan a piece of your mind. She and Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell apologized after the bungled March 22 election process that caused some voters to wait in line for more than five hours.
“Secretary Reagan will hold three public meetings to listen to voters describe their experience as a part of her review of the frustrations related to the 2016 Presidential Preference Election. Additional meetings will be announced soon,” according to a release from Reagan’s office this morning.
The U.S. Department of Justice launched an investigation last week into the debacle, sending Purcell’s office a list of questions about the process that led to the long lines.
Many Arizonans still are hot about the incompetently prepared election-day plan that reduced the number of polling places to a fraction of what they were previously for Presidential Preference Elections. Protests two weeks ago at the state Capitol following a House Elections Committee hearing included the arrest of a citizen in the House gallery viewing area.
Here are the details for your calendar:
5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday, April 11
Cartwright School District Building
5220 West Indian School Road, Phoenix
5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 13
Church of the Beatitudes
555 West Glendale Avenue, Phoenix
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 14
McQueen Park Activity Center
510 North Horne Street, Gilbert
UPDATE: The state revised the address for the Monday meeting at Cartwright, and we’ve changed it here. Also, Reagan’s spokesman, Matt Roberts, got back to us after publication with a comment. New Times had asked him if Reagan will answer questions or just listen. He seemed to indicate there’ll be some Q&A moments. Here’s what Roberts said:
“Of course, she’ll listen first and foremost. But then the focus will really be digging into the details of what actually occurred with the specific voter. Less about emotional reaction and more about getting into the weeds related to the problem. We really want to understand what happened that was good and what happened that can be improved.
“The county is preparing for the May 17 special election and the Logic and Accuracy testing next week. We plan to provide them with the transcripts of the meetings and the report once it’s completed.”
(Logic and Accuracy tests ensure the ballot-counting equipment is working properly.)
