Pinal County officials and community members have welcomed Pinal County’s new state-of-the-art elections facility, the Pinal VOTES (Voter Operations Technology and Election Services) Center — featuring a central “fishbowl” viewing room where citizens can watch as ballots are processed.
The $32-million building in Florence at 320 W. Adamsville Rd., was constructed in just 16 months, in what Board of Supervisors Vice-Chairman Jeffrey McClure called a “Herculean effort.” With staff moved in, it is ready to host the general election Nov. 5.
Built in the aftermath of the glitch-ridden 2022 elections and opened in June, at 53,000 square feet the facility is more than four times the size of the previous facility in Coolidge. It also provides expansion space to grow, in line with Pinal County’s expected population increase.
In addition to space, the building offers significant improvements in security, processes and transparency.
The project was led by McClure, County Recorder Dana Lewis and county management, working with Swan Architects and FCI Constructors.
Lewis said, “This structure is the culmination of countless hours of hard work, dedication and collaboration. It is a testament to the unwavering commitment of all of those who have labored to bring this project from thoughts and lines on paper to brick-and-steel reality. It is here that the will of the electorate will be faithfully and accurately recorded.”
Mike Goodman, Board of Supervisors chairman, said, “It was the goal and the intent of our Board of Supervisors to set things in motion that would help restore the confidence in our God-given right to voice ourselves and to have those voices heard. Dana and the elections staff have worked tirelessly to address areas of concern, make improvements and carry out our elections as transparently and accurately as possible.”
