The Pinal County Recorder’s Office is reaching out to voters with early voting ballots to inform them about an error in return instructions.

Early voting ballots were sent out with buff-colored return envelopes, but the printed instructions called for returning the ballots in a green envelope.

The county has corrected ballot-return instructions and voters are now being asked to:

• Place your ballot into the white affidavit envelope.
• Sign and seal the white affidavit envelope.
• Place the white affidavit envelope into the buff return envelope addressed to the Recorder and seal.

In a statement, the county reported that it had used green return envelopes in the past, but this year moved to the buff color to avoid confusion with Maricopa and Pima counties’ ballots.

“Unfortunately, the directions did not update the change from green to buff. Postcards with updated instructions will be mailed to all voters who received an early ballot” according to the statement. “A notice will also be placed on the Pinal County Recorder’s website. The Republican and Democrat Party Chairs have been notified as has the Secretary of State’s office."

Early ballots were mailed out on July 3 for the July 30 primary.

During the 2022 primary election cycle, the county was plagued with printing errors on early ballots and precincts running out of ballots on Primary Election Day. In the fallout, Pinal County revamped its elections department.