Nearly 40,000 voter registration forms have been submitted damaged or incomplete, officials say

PHOENIX ( KPHO /Gray News) - Officials in Arizona say the Maricopa County Recorder's Office received a record number of voter registration forms this year on the final day before the deadline.

However, thousands of the forms arrived either damaged or incomplete.

The office said it received 90,000 forms, mostly from third-party organizations, but up to 40,000 were torn, wet, damaged, or otherwise unable to be processed.

County officials said the forms could even be potentially fraudulent with a large number of them being turned in from groups that have a history of being problematic.

"We have asked our lawmakers repeatedly in years past to address the integrity of paper voter registration forms dropped off by third-party groups. Sadly, nothing has been done," Maricopa County Recorder Steven Richer Richer said.

This situation could confuse voters who believe they are registered, potentially causing delays for everyone at the polls.

"This put a lot of pressure on the staff and could have negative ramifications for voters," Richer said.

In addition to navigating a lengthy two-page ballot, voters affected by inaccurate or damaged registration forms must provide proof of address and/or identification at the polls. This requirement could further slow check-ins and create conflicts at polling places.

"Even a few extra seconds added to the processing time of tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of voters, can contribute to longer lines," Tammy Patrick, from the National Association of Election Officials , said.

She continued, "If you haven't received any information in your name from the county recorder's office or a voter ID card, and if you thought you registered, it's very possible that voting could take longer than expected."

To prepare, Patrick advised voters to bring a copy of their registration form or any confirmation of their registration in case of questions at the polls.

The Maricopa County Voter Registration and Elections website provides a comprehensive list of polling locations and current wait times .