A vendor error sent more than 3,100 general election ballots to Maricopa County voters six days earlier than scheduled. Election officials said the premature mailing was not authorized by the Maricopa County Recorder's Office, but the ballots remain valid and may be returned normally.

Early voting was still a couple of days away when some voters began receiving their ballots. Early ballots were not supposed to be mailed until Wednesday, Oct. 7, making the unexpected deliveries an election calendar blunder.

The Maricopa County Recorder's Office said the ballots were mailed on Oct. 1. That placed the mailing nearly a week ahead of the planned date for early ballots to begin moving toward voters.

Runbeck Election Services made the error, according to the Recorder's Office. Officials did not provide additional details explaining what caused the vendor to send the ballots before the authorized mailing date.

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Despite the premature delivery, county officials said the affected ballots were correct. They also confirmed that the ballots had been sent to the proper voters, meaning recipients would not need replacement ballots because of the timing mistake.

Voters who received one of the early ballots may fill it out and return it through the normal process. Officials said there was no reason for those voters to feel uncomfortable about using the ballots they received.

Sam Stone, chief of staff for the Maricopa County Recorder's Office, said the office checked with the Maricopa County Attorney about the situation. Based on that review, officials said the ballots are valid and voters are free to place them back in the mail immediately.

The early return of those ballots will not result in immediate processing. Any affected ballot reaching the Recorder's Office before early voting begins will remain unopened and be placed in secure storage.

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Once processing starts, the ballots will be handled with the regular batch, according to Stone. That process will include scanning the ballots and verifying voter signatures before they are processed alongside the other returned ballots.

The Recorder's Office emphasized that secure storage would be used for ballots arriving before the official start of early voting. Those ballots will not be opened merely because Runbeck Election Services sent them before the scheduled date.

The mistake involved more than 3,100 ballots, a sizable batch sent without authorization from the county office overseeing the process. Even so, officials drew a clear distinction between the vendor's mailing error and the validity of the ballots themselves.

The affected voters therefore may proceed as they normally would after receiving an early ballot. They can complete the ballot and send it back, while the Recorder's Office will hold any premature returns unopened until regular processing is underway.

The county also planned a closer look at the vendor's operation following the error. The Maricopa County Recorder's Office was scheduled to begin inspecting the process at Runbeck Election Services on Monday.

Voters who were not included in the early batch were expected to receive their ballots after Wednesday. The vendor mistake did not change the county's stated schedule for the remaining ballot deliveries.

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The timing also came as another election deadline approached. Oct. 5 was the final day for voters to register for the November election, while the broader early voting process was set to begin shortly afterward.

Information about the incident came from the Maricopa County Recorder's Office, Runbeck Election Services, the Maricopa County Attorney, and Stone. FOX 10's Irene Snyder reported on the early mailing and the county's response to voters who received the ballots.

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