With less than three weeks until the Nov. 3 midterm elections, officials in Arizona’s largest county have alerted voters to potential mail-in ballot delays. The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office confirmed on Wednesday that 1.9 million ballots were sent to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for distribution starting Oct. 7, with the first batch of returned ballots received on Oct. 13. The office noted that it had previously warned voters that recent operational changes at USPS could result in delays in mail ballot delivery.
Officials urged voters who have not received their ballots by the end of this week to contact the Recorder’s Office to request a replacement. Ballots can also be submitted in person at polling locations throughout Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix. The county emphasized its priority to ensure every eligible voter receives their ballot and has the opportunity to cast their vote.
USPS Postmark Practices Raise Additional Concerns
Separate reporting highlights a potential complication for mail-in voters: USPS postmark practices may lag behind mailing dates, which could affect the validity of ballots in some states. A December 2025 USPS rule formalized this practice, meaning the postmark date may not reflect when a ballot was mailed. While the IRS accepts tax returns postmarked by the filing deadline, 35 states require mail-in ballots to arrive by Election Day, regardless of postmark date. The remaining states and territories allow ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive afterward, typically within a specified window.
County Faces Past Controversies
Maricopa County has been a focal point of election-related disputes in recent years. In 2021, the Arizona state Senate conducted an audit of ballots cast in the 2020 presidential election amid allegations of voter fraud and irregularities. Former President Donald Trump criticized Maricopa County officials earlier this month after around 3,000 ballots were mistakenly mailed early to voters, attributing the error to a vendor mistake. Trump stated that the county “should be ashamed of themselves” in response to a reporter’s question on Oct. 5.
Voters in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix and a critical battleground for statewide races, are advised to verify their ballot status and explore alternative submission methods if delays persist.