Ignore what ballot says?

Over 300,000 voters who got ballots by mail in the 8th Congressional District received an insert telling them to vote for “not more than 2” candidates.

A set of instructions sent to voters in the special primary election to replace U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., who resigned amid sexual-misconduct allegations, could cause confusion, according to a candidate in a different race.

So, to be clear: Don’t vote for two people.

More than 300,000 voters who got ballots by mail in the 8th Congressional District received an insert to illustrate how to correctly fill in arrows for candidates. The diagram read “Vote for not more than 2.”

Although voting for more than one candidate is allowed in some races, such as for Arizona Corporation Commission or school boards, it is not allowed in an election for the U.S. House of Representatives. Ballots in the Feb. 27 special primary election that are marked for more than one candidate will not be counted.

The insert has been used in previous elections without a problem, Maricopa County Recorder’s Office spokeswoman C. Murphy Hebert

said.

The ballot itself contained the correct instructions: “Vote for not more than 1.”

“We have redesigned the insert for future elections because a few people did contact the office and express concern about it,” Hebert said. “Recorder (Adrian) Fontes is focused on improving the voter experience and welcomes feedback because he considers the public a partner in the election process.”

Lori Klein Corbin, a former state lawmaker and Republican running for secretary of state, complained about the error in a media release.

“WHY HASN’T THE COUNTY RECORDER ADRIAN FONTES AND OUR OVERSEAR (sic) OF ELECTIONS MICHELE REAGAN CAUGHT THE MISTAKE ... AND ALERTED THE VOTERS IN CD8?” she wrote.

Klein Corbin, who once pointed a loaded gun at an Arizona Republic reporter, encouraged voters via her release who cast a ballot incorrectly to call the “COUNTY RECORDOER (sic)” at 602-506-1511.

Voters who want to change a ballot they already sent by mail can vote at an early-voting site before the election or at their assigned polling place on Election Day — but only if the ballot has not yet been received and counted.

To check the status of a ballot, visit the County Recorder’s Office website.