Pima County Elections Director Constance Hargrove, left, and Pima County RecorderΒ Gabriella Cazares-Kelly talk with moderator Nicole Ludden, Arizona Daily Star government reporter, at a voter forum sponsored by the Arizona Democracy Resilience Network, the Arizona Daily Star, Citizens Clean Elections Commission and Tucson Unified School District.

 Arizona Daily Star

What happens after you cast your vote? How and when are votes counted?Β  What will be different this election day?

With midterm elections just weeks away, top election officials from Pima County and the Arizona Secretary of State's office gathered to answer these questions and more during a public forum Oct. 20 at Catalina High School.

Watch the forum here. Here's a preview of what you'll learn:

What happens to my early ballot after I mailΒ  it?

Ballots are sent to the midtown Cherybell Post Office, then picked up by a Democrat and a Republican who courier the ballots together to the county recorder's office.

There, the outer yellow envelope is opened. The affidavit on the still-unopened white envelope is scanned and the signature is compared to the signature on file for that voter. If they don't match, workers call, email, text and send letters trying to make sure the vote is legitimate.

Once the signatures are verified, the still-sealed ballots go to the county elections office, where they're scanned but not tabulated until after polls close on Nov. 8.

Can I trust voting machines?

Voting equipment must meet federal and state standards. Counties conduct 'logic and accuracy testing' before the election, then the state does the same.Β  After the election the county does another logic and accuracy test to makes sure the equipment is still performing accurately.

Can someone vote twice?

If a voter mails in a ballot and then shows up to vote in person, poll workers give that person a provisional ballot and then the recorder's office and the elections office compare the ballots and determine whether the person voted twice. Although such cases are usually unintentional, officials say, they're turned over to the County Attorney's office for possible criminal prosecution.

What happens if the high-tech voting machines fail?

A low-tech backup is ready and waiting. Workers would use a backup voter roll prepared by the county recorder's office and voters would cast their ballots using paper ballots on hand for that purpose.

Can election workers double-count votes for candidate they support or not count votes for candidates they don't support?

No. If the machines that tally the votes can't read a ballot, it's counted by a team of observers from both major political parties.

Why can't we get final results on election day?

Signatures must be verified, votes must be tabulated, a voter's intended choice might need to be checked. "Accurate results take time," Pima County Elections Director Constance Hargrove said.

Sources: Gabriella Cazares-Kelly, Pima County Recorder; Constance Hargrove, Pima County Elections Director; Kori Lorick, election services director, Arizona Secretary of State

Forum sponsors: Arizona Democracy Resilience Network, the Arizona Daily Star, Citizens Clean Elections Commission and Tucson Unified School District.

Got your ballot? Here's your guide to Arizona's 2022 election

The Star put together a set of tools to make it easier to learn more about the candidates as you fill out your ballot.

In the guide below, you can find videos of interviews with candidates for Congress, the state Legislature, and local school boards. You can read written responses, unedited and as submitted to the Star, to a questionnaire we sent to candidates.Β If you want to see the company each candidate keeps, we compiled a lengthy list of endorsements.

We also included links to relevant news articles, as well as guest opinions that candidates wrote for the Star's opinion pages.

We will update the guide regularly. If you have any questions, please email staropinions@tucson.com. 

See how election ballots are sorted, secured, processed and counted in Pima County after you vote.

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