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Vail voters head to polls over incorporation Tuesday, Nov. 7

Pima County Elections Director explains security measures taken prior to the combined mail-in and in-person vote
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TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — In an election set to take place Tuesday, the residents of Vail, Ariz., are getting ready to cast their votes, both in-person and by mail, on two significant matters: the Vail Incorporation vote and the School Bond vote.

Voters casting ballots on the Vail incorporation will have the option of dropping of their mail-in ballots tomorrow, or casting in-person ballots.

The Pima County Elections Department says security measures have been put in place prior to Election Day.

Constance Hargrove, Elections Director for Pima County, assured voters of the safety and integrity of the election process. "Security measures are in place, of course," she emphasized, providing a glimpse into the meticulous safeguards in place to protect the integrity of the ballots.

Hargrove explained that once ballots are deposited into designated ballot boxes, they are diligently monitored by dedicated individuals. She further explained, "We have individuals there, watching the ballot boxes at all times, and those ballots will be counted and sealed and transported back to our office at the end of the night."

SIGNATURE VERIFICATION PROCESS

For early ballots and the all-mail election, a crucial step involves signature verification at the recorder's office. Hargrove stated, "For early ballots, and for the all-mail election, the consolidated election, those ballots go back to the recorder's office first, and they go through signature verification."

Once the signatures on the received ballots are verified, they are centralized at a secure location. Hargrove specified, "In Pima County, we do not have scanners in our vote centers, so all ballots come back to the central count location, and then we count the ballots here and secure them on site."

WHERE TO DROP OFF YOUR BALLOT

On the day of the election, voters will have the option to either drop off their ballots or cast their votes in person at one of the three designated voting centers in Vail:

  • Cienega High School | 12775 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way
  • Vail Copper Ridge Elementary School | 7650 S. Canyon Edge Trail
  • Vail Sycamore Elementary School | 16701 S. Houghton Road

Vote Centers are open from 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Find additional Vote Centers at the Pima County Website.

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Bri Pacelli is a multimedia journalist for KGUN 9. Bri is a graduate from Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School, where she earned a degree in journalism and mass communication. She interned with Criminal Minded Media, a podcast company focused on Arizona's historical crime. Share your story ideas and important issues with Bri by emailing bri.pacelli@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram.