In yet another elections embarrassment for Maricopa County, Arizona, two million ballots were printed with the wrong Spanish-language description for a ballot proposition May 17, resulting in a massive reprinting of ballots and mailing of postcards to correct the mistake.
This latest screw-up was uncovered the same day the County Recorder's office filed its formal response to a U.S Justice Department investigation of the botched Presidential Primary in March, which forced many voters to stand in line for hours.
Many voters claimed they were disenfranchised by elections officials huge cut in polling places for the Primary.
The botched ballots were discovered this week after the Maricopa County Recorder's office sent out mail-in ballots for the May vote on two propositions: Prop 123, which would increase funding for schools, and Prop 124, which would tinker with pension formulas for police and firefighters.
The Spanish-language title over text explaining how Prop 124 would affect pensions is the same as the title over the explanation for the education-related Prop 123:
"Enmienda Propuesta A La Constitucion De Arizona Por La Legislatura Relacionada Con La Financiacion De La Educacion" ("Proposed Amendment to the Arizona Constitution by the Legislature Relating to Education Finance.")
The Spanish-language text explaining each proposition is correct.
This mistake will be expensive: The county will reprint all 700,000 ballots that will be used at polling places May 17 and will send postcards flagging the mistake to the 1.3 million voters who receive mail-in ballots in Maricopa County, according to Elizabeth Bartholomew, spokeswoman for Republican County Recorder Helen Purcell.
"It was an oversight by our own department," Bartholomew said. She couldn't put a price tag on fixing the mistake.
It doesn't appear that any other Arizona counties made the same error.
Wonder if they used the same service New York City used for the translation?
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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