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Why mail-in ballots turned into post-election vote counts

More Arizonans are voting by mail, but it could have made the wait for election results longer.

Maricopa County finally counted its last vote this week. Almost two weeks after polls closed on November 6th. 

Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes tweeted how more than 80 percent of the votes cast in Arizona were early (that could include mail-in ballots dropped off on Election Day). 

It may sound like an oxymoron, but the early voting system, specifically vote-by-mail, causes the count to take longer. 

Each ballot needs to be verified before it can be counted. So the state has people look over each signature on the ballot and compares it to the one on file from state records. 

This one-by-one process takes time, especially in Maricopa County, which is responsible for around 60 percent of the votes in Arizona. 

Vote by mail is not meant to be the faster option, but the easier one, aimed at promoting turnout. Some argue the process also saves the state money, especially if it is expanded further. 

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