Arizona's Maricopa County says it will count around 80,000 votes Friday, leaving fewer than 300,000

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Maricopa election officials continue to count ballots

Fox News host Bret Baier has the latest on the 2022 midterm elections on 'Special Report.'

Arizona’s Maricopa County will have an election update of about 80,000 more ballots Friday evening, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates said earlier in the day. 

Following that batch of results, there will be fewer than 300,000 left to tabulate in the state’s most populous county, he said. 

He said the majority of the votes left to count are mail-in ballots dropped off on Election Day. 

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Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates gave an update about the number of ballots left to count in the county on Friday.  (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

A mandatory hand count of some races will also begin on Saturday to ensure voting machines were working correctly. He said the count would include a "statistically significant" number of ballots. 

"I know people are very anxious to get the results," he said, alluding to several close races, including close ones for governor and the Senate. 

Incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, right, and Republican Blake Masters remain in a heated race.  (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly was about 115,000 votes ahead of Republican challenger Blake Masters by Friday afternoon and Democratic Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs was ahead of Republican Kari Lake by more than 26,000 votes. Those margins are expected to narrow as more of the vote comes in.

Arizona gubernatorial candidates Katie Hobbs, left, and Kari Lake, right, are locked in a tight race.  (Reuters)

Gates said for people who are wary of the vote-counting process, "We have Republicans and Democrats working together" who are "committed to moving the process forward." 

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He added, "We’re doing this the right way."