STATEMENT ON RUNBECK EARLY BALLOT PRE-MAILING PHOENIX, Arizona — On October 2, Runbeck Election Services informed the Maricopa County Recorder's Office that it had mistakenly mailed 3,126 early ballots the previous day, six days before the scheduled October 7 mailing date. The premature mailing was not authorized by the Recorder's Office, which was notified only after it occurred. Runbeck's error affected only the timing of the mailing. The correct ballots were mailed to the correct voters. Upon consultation with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, it was determined that the ballots remain valid and do not need to be voided or reissued. Voters may complete and return them normally. Any ballots received before early voting begins will remain unopened and securely stored until processing begins. No voters were adversely affected. Runbeck accepts responsibility for their error and will work with the MCRO to implement appropriate controls to prevent it from ever happening again.