SR 347 accident delays traffic, democracy

Thousands of Maricopa voters turned out to cast their ballots in Tuesday night’s General Election, but not all of them were allowed to vote.

An accident along SR 347 backed traffic up from Casa Blanca Road to Interstate 10 at one point, keeping many registered voters from getting to the polls by closing time.

“I can’t believe I’m not going to be able to vote,” read a text message from Phil Wazny to his wife Jane.

Jane sat in traffic earlier for an hour and 15 minutes before she made it down the highway.

“I arrived at Riggs and 347 at about 4:45,” said Wazny. “From that point, it took me until 6 o’clock to get to Rancho El Dorado.”

Wazny said she is worried that this is what will be the normal traffic in a couple of years if things don’t change.

In town at Precinct 30, poll workers received the word about the accident as early commuters began to trickle in. Many of those waiting were showing concern for people in traffic who might not get to vote.

“They kept saying things like ‘You’re taking these people’s rights away from them,'” said Precinct 30 clerk Kathy Debevec.

With a line out the door at 10 minutes after 7 p.m., Debevec said another poll worker tried calling the county to see if anything could be done for the late voters. Their instruction from county officials was to shut down the polls at the scheduled time.

One of the poll workers got at the end of the line and instructed anyone who arrived after them that they would be unable to vote.

County officials said they first learned of the accident around 6 p.m.

“We consulted the DPS web site, and it said there were only 17-minute traffic delays,” said Pinal County Elections official Gilberto Hoyos.

But Maricopa-bound traffic was still backed up from Casa Blanca to the Huhugam Cultural Center near I-10 as late as 6:30 p.m.

Hoyos explained how the online DPS information, along with consultation from county attorneys, Republican Party attorneys and advisors from an elections watchdog group from San Francisco, was enough information to make the call.

“They said we don’t have to pursue it,” Hoyos said.

When asked if it would have made a difference knowing that traffic delays were an hour or longer, he said it would have been a decision for legal officials.

The exact numbers of people turned away at the polls is not known at this point.

As for the nature of the accident, DPS has been unavailable for comment.