Estimated 500,000-plus ballots still uncounted in Arizona: 'Elections do not end on Election Day'
Americans are still waiting to find out whether Kari Lake or Rep. Ruben Gallego will succeed Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in the US Senate
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Election Day is long gone, but Arizonans and Americans across the nation are still waiting for results from the Grand Canyon State, including the outcome of the closely watched U.S. Senate contest pitting Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego against Trump-backed Republican Kari Lake.
"Elections do not end on Election Day. It takes time to ensure all eligible votes are counted," the state's ballot progress page states.
According to the page, the estimated number of uncounted ballots stands at 588,223.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}KARI LAKE ARGUES DEMOCRATS ARE SICK OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, invites Arizona Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake on stage during a campaign rally at Findlay Toyota Center Oct. 13, 2024, in Prescott Valley, Ariz. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
While Election Day was Tuesday, the outcome of the Senate race in the state of Arizona remained unclear as of Saturday. Fox News and all other major news outlets have already called Arizona for Donald Trump, who is nearly 200,000 votes ahead of Kamala Harris.
Fox News Digital reached out to request a comment from Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes about why it is taking so long to count 2024 election ballots in the state and when he expects the counting process to be completed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Deputy communications director JP Martin replied via email, "Arizona has historically taken 10-13 days to count results. The secretary has been reminding the public of this fact before the election even occurred. Your premise is incorrect."
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Ruben Gallego and Kari Lake (Getty Images)
"Accurate election results take time," Fontes noted in a post on X. "Signature verification is the process of comparing the sig. on a voter’s ballot envelope against info in the database. The ballot is then separated to keep the voter's identity secret and sent for tabulation."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lake has been urging people to volunteer to help "cure" ballots.
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"I can't stress enough how important ballot curing is. Every single vote is going to count for this election, so we need to make sure every single vote gets counted. We have until Sunday to cure ballots. I URGE you to get involved if you haven't," Lake tweeted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lake's post links to Turning Point Action.
Tyler Bowyer, the group's Chief Operating Officer, told Fox News Digital that the group is "hustling" to ensure ballots are cured in Arizona.
Maricopa County Elections explained, "Curing is the process of resolving any problems with your signature on the green affidavit envelope for early voting. For your ballot to be tabulated, we must have a verified signature each election cycle. There is a small window of time to cure signature issues."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., an Arizona Democratic Senate candidate, speaks at a Harris-Walz Fighting for Reproductive Freedom bus tour stop at Arizona State University Nov. 4, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The winner of the U.S. Senate contest will replace Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat turned independent who opted not to seek re-election in 2024.
Regardless of whether President-elect Trump wins in Arizona, it is already clear he earned an Electoral College blowout over Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 White House contest.