Pinal Today

Pinal County, Arizona, Elections Director, Virginia Ross, recently said Pinal County’s general election ended with all votes counted properly and on time.

With the 2022 midterm election now in her rearview mirror, Ross is ready to retire.

“We made sure all of the chain of custody and handoff procedures were in place so we could track everything that was being done throughout the day,” Ross said, according to a Nov. 22 In Maricopa report. “We didn’t skip steps or cut corners. Organization is the key. You have to be extremely organized and understand how long each step takes and when you can start the next step. It all goes back to project management.”

Ross plans to retire after her four-month contract ends, which pays her $175,000 plus a $25,000 bonus for the success of the election, the report stated. Ross took over as elections director after an August primary that was plagued by problems.

Ross attributed her success to poll workers, public works officials and information technology professionals. She said her approach was a simple one.

“I don’t know the specifics of exactly what happened in the primary, or what the former director (David Frisk) did or didn’t do,” Ross said. “We implemented the basics. We followed procedures and timelines, and I used my skills as a project manager to be sure we’re getting this done right. I also think his lack of experience with Arizona election law and precinct-based elections didn’t help. I had that experience, and I know how things work in this county.”

A key difference Ross found was in the review process, she said. The county had to account for about 300 different ballots coming from various precincts, cities, towns and school districts, according to In Maricopa. Ballots also had to be printed in English and Spanish. With so many moving parts, extra review was necessary.

“It all goes back to the ballot proofing that came out in the third-party review of what happened in the primary,” Ross said. “That didn’t take place in the primary. I implemented that detailed ballot proofing to our procedure to ensure what needed to be on each ballot was on that ballot. It’s an in-depth procedure that I don’t think was done properly in August.”

Ross said the only problem she encountered were some ballots that didn’t scan properly.

“We had a couple of instances where our poll workers needed a little more training on how to handle that scenario, but that will be addressed in some post-election training we’ll be implementing,” she said.

Ross said she believes the county has learned valuable lessons for the next election.

“There are some good people here,” she said. “The county understands that following tried and true principles will result in good elections.”