2025 - Winner for Exemplary Contingency Planning and Emergency Response Efforts

Maricopa County Elections (MCE) has developed a comprehensive Election Day resilience program built on coordinated cross-agency partnerships and real-time response. Unlike traditional models, this approach embeds external partners directly into operations. On Election Day, election staff work in a centralized Command Center alongside law enforcement, emergency management, state partners, and nonpartisan organizations. These partners are trained in advance and can respond immediately when issues arise. This structure supports rapid assessment and deployment while prioritizing voter access, ballot security, and safety. The program reduces disruptions, strengthens coordination, and helps ensure voting continues smoothly during emergencies or unexpected challenges. As a result, MCE has minimized vote center downtime and avoided closures during incidents, all while maintaining consistent operations across locations.