EXPLAINER: Why did Arizona have voting slowdowns?

Republican and *** democrat and it will be counted here this evening. So that that vote that goes into number three will be reported either two, we have 223 vote centers across the county in about 20% of those when people will go and they try and run the ballot through this tabulator, maybe one out of every five or so of those ballots, they're not going through. If their ballots not going through the tabulator, then we will ask them to go here at door number three and place their ballot into this secure box. Those ballots will remain secure in there all day long and at the end of voting after seven PM when everything is completed, then these ballots will be taken Securely and delivered by *** bipartisan team. So Republican and Democrat down to here at the Central Tabulation Center. And while this is obviously not how the system was designed, this is *** failsafe that functions the exact same way as early voting, which, you know, we have been going through for the past 26 days.

There were some voting slowdowns Tuesday in Arizona, where races for governor and Senate are among the most closely watched contests of this year's midterm elections.So what happened? And will every vote be counted?Printing problems Most voting in Arizona happens by mail. But voters can go to any vote center location to cast their ballots. When voters check in, they get a ballot for their specific precinct, with available races printed out. Voters fill out the ballot and put it into a tabulation machine to be counted.Ever print something and it comes out fainter than you wanted? On Tuesday in Maricopa County, the state's most populous, some of the tabulators did not read the ballots because the printers did not produce what are known as “timing marks” — which tell ballot scanners voter information, so choices can be tabulated — dark enough to be detected by the machines.Voters who had their ballots rejected were told they could try the location’s second tabulator, put it in a ballot box to be counted at the central facility later, or cancel it and go to another vote center.Video below: Official discusses election security in ArizonaHow big was the issue? About a quarter of Maricopa County's polling places — 60 of 223 vote centers — experienced this issue. It wasn't clear precisely how many ballots were affected.About 4.5 million people live in the sprawling city of Phoenix, and about 2.4 million are registered voters. More than 80% cast their ballots early, most by mail, and the county said about 230,000 had voted in person by about an hour before polls closed.Did everyone get to vote? Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Timothy Ryan denied a request from Republicans to keep the polls open, saying he didn’t see evidence that people were not allowed to vote.The county supervisor, Republican Bill Gates, apologized after polls closed but said every vote would be counted. Officials did acknowledge many of those votes wouldn't be counted until Wednesday.

There were some voting slowdowns Tuesday in Arizona, where races for governor and Senate are among the most closely watched contests of this year's midterm elections.

So what happened? And will every vote be counted?

Printing problems

Most voting in Arizona happens by mail. But voters can go to any vote center location to cast their ballots. When voters check in, they get a ballot for their specific precinct, with available races printed out. Voters fill out the ballot and put it into a tabulation machine to be counted.

Ever print something and it comes out fainter than you wanted? On Tuesday in Maricopa County, the state's most populous, some of the tabulators did not read the ballots because the printers did not produce what are known as “timing marks” — which tell ballot scanners voter information, so choices can be tabulated — dark enough to be detected by the machines.

Voters who had their ballots rejected were told they could try the location’s second tabulator, put it in a ballot box to be counted at the central facility later, or cancel it and go to another vote center.

Video below: Official discusses election security in Arizona

How big was the issue?

About a quarter of Maricopa County's polling places — 60 of 223 vote centers — experienced this issue. It wasn't clear precisely how many ballots were affected.

About 4.5 million people live in the sprawling city of Phoenix, and about 2.4 million are registered voters. More than 80% cast their ballots early, most by mail, and the county said about 230,000 had voted in person by about an hour before polls closed.

Did everyone get to vote?

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Timothy Ryan denied a request from Republicans to keep the polls open, saying he didn’t see evidence that people were not allowed to vote.

The county supervisor, Republican Bill Gates, apologized after polls closed but said every vote would be counted. Officials did acknowledge many of those votes wouldn't be counted until Wednesday.

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