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Post-Election Developments in Arizona
POST-ELECTION DEVELOPMENTS IN ARIZONA
FOX News and AP's early calls of
race in Arizona came under criticism from
Trump supporters; FOX called the state for
Biden at 11:20 p.m. EST and AP at 2:50 a.m.
EST Wednesday (Nov. 4). Arizona was one
of six states where the Trump campaign and
allies pursued post-election legal
efforts. Arizona Republican Party chair
Kelli Ward was one of Trump's most outspoken
supporters. President Trump sought to
pressure Gov. Doug Ducey, but officials
certified the results on Nov. 30. The
final tally showed Biden's winning margin at
10,457 votes out of 3,387,324 cast or 0.30
percentage points. The electors met on
Dec. 14 and formalized Biden's win. When
Congress met in joint session on Jan. 6, 2021
to certify the electoral votes, Arizona was
one of two states for which members debated an
objection. In fact member of the House
and Senate were debating the objection to the
Arizona electoral votes in their respective
chambers when the mob of Trump supporters
forced recesses.
PRESENTED BELOW AS A
RESOURCE FOR READERS IS A COLLECTION OF
SOURCE MATERIAL ARRANGED CHRONOLOGICALLY
TO GIVE A SENSE OF HOW THE POST-ELECTION
UNFOLDED IN ARIZONA. KEEP IN MIND
THAT WHILE ELECTION OFFICIALS WERE DOING
THEIR JOBS TO ENSURE AN ACCURATE TALLY OF
THE VOTE, THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND OTHER
ACTORS WERE SPREADING
DISINFORMATION. THE CHALLENGE AT THE
TIME WAS TO SORT THROUGH IT ALL AND MAKE
SENSE OF WHAT LATER CAME TO BE KNOWN AS
"THE BIG LIE."
Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.
November 5, 2020
Trump Campaign Announces Phoenix Press Conference with Representative Debbie Lesko, Jeff DeWit, Chairwoman Kelli Ward, and David Bossie
Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. will host a press conference in Phoenix, Arizona with Representative Debbie Lesko (AZ-08), former Arizona Treasurer Jeff DeWit, Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward, and President of Citizens United David Bossie at 2:00 pm MST.WHEN: Thursday, November 5 at 2:00 pm MST
WHERE: Republican Party of Arizona
3501 North 24th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85016
_________
C-SPAN
Arizona Democratic Party
Saturday, November 7, 2020
Contact: Matt Grodsky
Arizona Democratic Party Statement On A Historic Election
Chair Felecia Rotellini issued the following statement:“Arizona Democrats have made history. The Grand Canyon State is now blue.
We now have two Democratic Senators, an achievement we have not seen in over 50 years. And Arizona has delivered its 11 electoral college votes to now President-elect Joe Biden.
We are a part of the broadest coalition ever assembled by a Democratic presidential nominee in Arizona. From leaders like our Congressional Delegation, our Mayors and our state legislators, to voters from all walks of life and every corner of our state, people of faith and conscience— we’ve built the kind of team we needed to succeed.
I want to thank the Arizona Democratic Party staff, Mission For Arizona and the Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee for their tireless work and our volunteers and community organizers for their commitment and perseverance in this election and in elections past.
I want to acknowledge our Democratic Counties and Legislative Districts for their resilience and leadership. Our teams across the state ran an extraordinary early voting program and an unprecedented “get out the vote” effort that led to Arizonans casting more votes in early voting than cast in all of 2016.
Thank you to all of our candidates, up and down the ballot, for continuing the fight for Arizona families. Your courage and fortitude paved the way for so many victories and this record voter turnout.
Finally, thank you to the voters of Arizona. These victories truly transcend party politics.
Democrats, Republicans, and Independents came together to elect leaders that will put the people first. The future looks bright for our great state and nation.”
Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.
November 7, 2020
Trump campaign files suit on rejected votes in Arizona
President Trump’s re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee today filed a lawsuit in Arizona alleging that Maricopa County incorrectly rejected votes cast by in-person voters on Election Day. When a machine detects an overvote on a ballot, poll workers should inform in-person voters of the error and give them an opportunity to correct the issue. Instead, poll workers in Maricopa County pressed, and told voters to press, a green button to override the error. As a result, the machines disregarded the voter’s choices in the overvoted races. The campaign has collected declarations from voters who witnessed the problem and alleges that the problem occurred on a large scale in Maricopa County. Voters can submit additional declarations at DontTouchTheGreenButton.com.“Poll workers struggled to operate the new voting machines in Maricopa County, and improperly pressed and told voters to press a green button to override significant errors,” said Matt Morgan, Trump 2020 campaign general counsel. “The result is that the voting machines disregarded votes cast by voters in person on Election Day in Maricopa County.”
The suit asks for the manual inspection of purportedly overvoted ballots that were cast in-person, the same way that elections officials examined overvoted ballots that were mailed in or dropped off.
November 12, 2020
Republican Party of Arizona Files Suit To Enforce Lawful Hand Count of Votes by Precinct, Not Voting Center
Traditionally, voters have been assigned a “polling place” in their precinct at which to vote; however, for the 2020 general election, Maricopa County instead set up a number of polling places across the county called “vote centers” where voters from any precinct could vote. There is a fundamental difference between sampling “polling centers” and “precincts,” most notable being the fact that there were only around 175 vote centers this election, but there were 748 precincts. Hand counting by precinct would therefore potentially result in a more precise sampling of votes.
Republican Party of Arizona Chairwoman Kelli Ward issued the following statement on the lawsuit:
“The question here is one of statutory construction, and whether the Secretary of State's Elections Procedures Manual is able to supersede Arizona's state law. Arizona voters deserve complete assurance that the law will be followed and that only legal ballots will be counted in the 2020 election.”
Kara Scannell. "Trump campaign drops Arizona lawsuit requesting review of ballots." CNN, Nov. 13, 2020.
Kara Scannell, Katelyn Polantz and Caroline Kelly. "Judges toss Republican lawsuits in Arizona, Pennsylvania." CNN, Nov. 19, 2020.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs
Nov. 18, 2020
Secretary Hobbs: 'I was prepared for these threats of violence and vitriol'
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs released this statement in response to ongoing and escalating threats of violence directed at her family and her office:"The truth is, I was prepared for these threats of violence and vitriol. I have been a social worker for many years and can anticipate this reaction when certain people feel powerless and angry. These actions are utterly abhorrent, especially when directed at my family and my staff. They are a symptom of a deeper problem in our state and country - the consistent and systematic undermining of trust in each other and our democratic process. Arizonans deserve to know that elections are safe and secure.
"This does not excuse the perpetrators. Their continued intimidation tactics will not prevent me from performing the duties I swore an oath to do. Our democracy is tested constantly, it continues to prevail, and it will not falter under my watch.
"But there are those, including the president, members of Congress and other elected officials, who are perpetuating misinformation and are encouraging others to distrust the election results in a manner that violates the oath of office they took. It is well past time that they stop. Their words and actions have consequences.
"Now, I am calling on other leaders in this state, including the governor whose deafening silence has contributed to the growing unrest, to stand up for the truth. When facing unimaginable challenges this election year, Arizonans stepped up. More people are registered to vote in our state than ever before, election participation has been at historic highs, thousands answered the call to work at voting locations during a pandemic, and people made their voices heard.
"This should be a time for thanking voters and election workers for their incredible commitment during unprecedented challenges. In that spirit, I offer my gratitude and express my admiration for the Arizonans who inspire trust in our democracy."
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/urgent-public-hearing-w-presidents-legal-team-on-arizona-election-results-tickets-130631992807?ref=eios
Urgent Public Hearing with President Donald J. Trump’s Legal Team and Select Members of the Arizona Legislature on the recent elections.
About this Event
- 8am Doors Open
- 9am Start
- (Adjourn for Lunch)
- 2pm Conclusion
“We are pleased that the State Legislatures in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Michigan will be convening hearings to examine the November 3rd presidential election,” Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump, Jenna Ellis.
State Legislatures are uniquely qualified and positioned to hold hearings on election irregularities and fraud before electors are chosen. As established in Article 2, Section 1.2 of the United States Constitution, State Legislatures have the sole authority to select their representatives to the Electoral College, providing a critical safeguard against voter fraud and election manipulation.
REGISTRATION DETAILS
- Open to the Public.....Tickets are Limited!
- All attendees must register in advance and secure a ticket online
- Social Distancing Rules will be maintained in accordance with local guidelines including the use of facemasks
9:00 AM – 2:00 PM MST
Location
Hyatt Regency Phoenix
122 North 2nd Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Nov. 30 - Arizona Results Certification - C-SPAN
Arizona Republican Party
November 30, 2020
JUDGE GRANTS REPUBLICAN PARTY'S PETITION TO REVIEW MAIL-IN BALLOT ENVELOPES, "DUPLICATE" BALLOTS
PHOENIX - Maricopa Superior Court Judge Randall Warner ruled today in favor of the Republican Party of Arizona's petition to allow for the inspection of a limited sampling of mail-in ballot envelopes, and to be able to compare them to voter signatures on file, as well as the ability to review a selection of "duplicate" ballots against the original ballots from which they were duplicated.Chairwoman Kelli Ward issued the following statement on today's legal ruling:
"This decision ls a step In the right direction, and Is Important to help ensure the Integrity of our elections. The Republican Party of Arizona continues to fight for access to records It can legally acquire, which has been extremely limited, to fight for the level of transparency that Is essential to voter confidence In our elections. Arizona voters deserve to have a system that they can trust, and It Is Incumbent on all of our elected officials to go above and beyond to provide them with confidence that their legal votes were accurately counted and that no Illegal votes were counted."
This ruling came after Democrat Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and Governor Doug Ducey certified the results of the November 2020 general election. No lawsuit directly challenging the statewide canvass can be filed before the canvass is complete.
Arizona Democratic Party
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
Contact: Matt Grodsky
ICYMI: Bipartisan Election Certification Solidifies President-Elect Biden’s Win In Arizona
PHOENIX – Yesterday Arizona officials from both parties certified the results of the state’s election, confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s historic victory and allowing Senator-elect Mark Kelly to take his seat in the U.S. Senate as early as Wednesday.
According to the Secretary of State’s Office, Arizona voters cast more than 3.4 million ballots and turnout neared 80%, a 23% increase from the midterm election in 2018 and an 8% increase from the presidential election in 2016.
The state now has two Democratic Senators for the first time in more than sixty years and voters elected the Democratic candidate for President for the first time since 1996.
Both Secretary Hobbs and Governor Ducey defended the state’s elections processes and security.
Key Takeaways from the Arizona Republic:
- “Hobbs, a Democrat, signed the official election results in the old state Capitol in Phoenix along with the state’s Republican governor and attorney general, Doug Ducey and Mark Brnovich, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Brutinel.”
- “Ducey expressed confidence in the election process.”
- “Hobbs began the meeting by listing steps the state takes to ensure the security of the election, from auditing ballots by hand to testing equipment publicly and including all political parties in the tabulation process.”
- “[…] Every board of supervisors in all 15 counties had certified tallies ahead of Monday, allowing the state to finalize its results.”
Arizona Secretary of State Convenes the Electoral College at 10 a.m. on Dec. 14
WHAT: Electors will sign the official Certificate of Vote for President and Vice President, which will be immediately sent to the President of the U.S. Senate. Additional copies will go to the National Archives and Records Administration, as well as the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office will also maintain copies.
WHAT: Meeting of the Presidential Electors to cast ballots for President and Vice President. By law, electors in Arizona are bound to vote for the presidential candidate that received the most votes in the General Election.
WHO: Each recognized political party nominated a slate of presidential electors earlier this year. The Democratic Party’s presidential candidate received the most votes in the 2020 General Election, so the Democratic Party’s Presidential Electors will participate in the Electoral College. Arizona’s 2020 Presidential Electors are:
- Steve Gallardo
- Luis Alberto Heredia
- Constance Jackson
- Sandra D. Kennedy
- Stephen Roe Lewis
- James McLaughlin
- Jonathan Nez
- Ned Norris
- Regina Romero
- Felecia Rotellini
- Fred Yamashita
WHEN: Monday, Dec. 14, 2020 at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Facebook Livestream of the event is available here: https://www.facebook.com/SecretaryHobbs/live/(link is external)
For security purposes and in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in-person attendance for the event is strictly limited.
Pool video provided by 12News. Pool photography provided by the Associated Press. Secretary Hobbs will be available for interviews, in-person or virtually, by appointment following the event.
A recording of the electoral college meeting will be posted following the event.
Arizona Republican Party
December 14, 2020
ARIZONA REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS CONVENE TO CAST VOTES FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP, VICE PRESIDENT PENCE
Of course, there is precedent for our Republican electors meeting on December 14, even as the Democrat electors for Arizona also meet elsewhere.
Democrat electors pledged to John F. Kennedy convened in Hawaii in 1960, at the same time as Republican electors met, even though the Governor had certified Richard Nixon as the winner. In the end, Hawaii's electoral votes were awarded to President Kennedy, even though he did not win the state until 11 days after his electors cast their votes.
The legitimacy and good sense of two sets of electors meeting on December 14 to cast competing votes for President and Vice President, with the conflict to be later sorted out by the courts and Congress, was pointed out by prominent Democrat lawyers Van Jones and Larry Lessig in an essay published last month on CNN.com.
Given that the results in Arizona remain in doubt, with legal arguments still to be decided, just as the Democrat electors met in Hawaii in 1960 while awaiting a final resolution of that state's vote, so too the Republican electors have agreed to meet this year on December 14 as we await a final resolution of Arizona's 11 electoral votes.
Republican Party of Arizona Chairwoman Kelli Ward released the following statement:
"Today, Arizona's 11 Republican presidential electors met to cast their votes for President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. With ongoing legal challenges to the 2020 presidential election still being heard In the courts, and state legislatures across the country holding hearings on election fraud and voting irregularities, It is Imperative that the proper electors are counted by Congress."
OBJECTION TO COUNTING THE ELECTORAL VOTES OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA
PAUL GOSAR, Representative, State of Arizona.
TED CRUZ, Senator, State of Texas.
SENATORS Mike Braun, John Kennedy, Ron Johnson, Steve Daines, James Lankford, Bill Hagerty, Marsha Blackburn.
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS Mo Brooks AL–5, Andy Biggs AZ–5, Jim Jordan OH–4, Madison Cawthorn NC–11, Scott Perry PA–10, Mike Kelly PA–16, Clay Higgins LA–3, John W. Rose TN–6, Bill Posey FL–8, Jeff Duncan SC–3, Brian Babin TX–36, Louie Gohmert TX–1, Brian J. Mast FL–18, Warren Davidson OH–8, Andy Harris MD–1, Steven Palazzo MS–4, Doug Lamborn CO–5, Kat Cammack FL–3. Tracey Mann KS–1, Bob Good VA–5, Adrian Smith NE–3, Billy Long MO–7, Jack Bergman MI–1, Michael Cloud TX–27, Rick Crawford AR–1, Roger Williams TX–25, Bob Gibbs OH– 7, Russ Fulcher ID–1, Ted Budd NC–13, Barry Moore AL–2, Lee Zeldin NY–1, Jake LaTurner KS–2, David Rouzer NC–7, Jason Smith MO–8, Lauren Boebert CO–3, Chuck Fleischmann TN–3, Tim Burchett TN–2, Chris Jacobs NY–27. Andrew S. Clyde GA–9, Lance Gooden TX– 5, Diana Harshbarger TN–1, Mary E. Miller IL–15, Mark E. Green TN–7, Ron Estes KS–4, Neal Dunn FL–2, Ronny Jackson TX–13, Ralph Norman SC–5, Joe Wilson SC–2, Vicky Hartzler MO–4, Scott DesJarlais TN–4, Marjorie Taylor Greene GA–14, Doug LaMalfa CA–1, Jeff Van Drew NJ–2, Ben Cline VA–6, Michael D. Rogers AL–3, Markwayne Mullin OK–2, Pat Fallon TX–4, Randy K. Weber TX– 14.
C-SPAN 2 | Congressional Record [PDF]
Arizona Republican Party
February 26, 2021
Maricopa County Judge Rules Republican Senate Subpoenas of Election Materials are ‘Legal & Enforceable’
Friday, February 26, 2021
Statement from Senate Republicans on judge's ruling allowing access to election equipment, ballots
"We are grateful for the Superior Court judge's ruling this morning that the Senate subpoenas are legal and enforceable, and it is entitled to audit voting equipment and ballots used in the November election. Today's ruling states:
The Arizona legislature clearly has the power to investigate and examine election reform matters. Accordingly, the Senators have the power to subpoena material as part of an inquiry into election reform measures.
It's clear the judge understands this is about getting answers to the questions voters have, and not some effort to overturn any election results. Hopefully, with a proper, independent and detailed audit, we will start to restore voter confidence in election integrity. Today's ruling means we can begin that process."
####
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Statement from Senate Republicans on audit of election equipment, ballots
"On Friday, a Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the Senate, that its subpoenas are legal and enforceable, and the Senate is entitled to audit voting equipment and ballots used in the November election. Monday, the Senate received notice of the imminent delivery of those machines and ballots. We were shocked when we were told that attorneys for the Maricopa County Board recommended doing something like this, potentially breaking the chain of custody of the ballots. The attorney for the Senate immediately contacted the county, reasserting that the Senate felt the best way to maintain the security of machines and ballots was to leave them at the county and have the independent auditors come to them, as was done with the first two audits.
President Fann and Board Chairman Jack Sellers are keeping in close contact, working on a mutual arrangement to keep the ballots safe and secure as the firm performs a detailed audit while ensuring the people's ballots are secure. Our citizens expect nothing less."
###
Arizona Senate Republicans
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Update on the full, detailed audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County
"As thousands of our voters continue to call for a thorough audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County, I am pleased to report we have narrowed it down to a preferred forensic audit team. We are negotiating final details on the execution of the audit and hope to have an announcement soon.
Our desire is to work closely with the County Board of Supervisors, and the Senate continues to believe the proper location of the audit is at the County, to preserve the chain of custody and maintain security of the ballots and equipment. Our goal is to make this a bipartisan effort with full transparency and in joint cooperation with Maricopa County officials. We've been reaching out to experts on election processes in Arizona and around the nation and hope to have the best and brightest involved in the audit.
This audit will be broad and detailed: the team will include, but is not limited to, testing the machines, scanning the ballots, performing a full hand count and checking for any IT breaches. When all the work is done, there will be a full report for the Senate and County to review. Our voters expect this audit, and it can be a big step in returning trust and confidence in our election process."
###
Maricopa County Office of Communications
May 17, 2021
Maricopa County Elected Leaders Call for End to Senate/Cyber Ninja Election Audit
READ THE COUNTY’S LETTER TO SENATOR FANN
READ THE TECHNICAL DOCUMENT REFUTING FALSE CLAIMS
At a special public meeting today, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a written response to allegations made by Arizona Senate President Karen Fann regarding the Senate’s audit of Maricopa County 2020 General Election ballots and equipment. Showing a united front, board members along with Recorder Stephen Richer, Sheriff Paul Penzone, Treasurer John Allen, Assessor Eddie Cook, and Superintendent Steve Watson signed a letter, which refutes false claims and calls on Fann to immediately end the audit.
“As elected leaders from different political parties, we are all united at Maricopa County. The accusations from the Senate President are deeply offensive and this letter will be the last time we respond to requests from this sham process,” said Chairman Jack Sellers, District 1. “To the Senate, we say: finish what you're calling an audit and be ready to defend your report in a court of law."
“This is a group that chooses to do what’s right not what’s easy,” said Vice Chairman Bill Gates, District 3. “It would have been easy to stay silent. Instead, we are speaking up today on behalf of the truth: the 2020 election was run with integrity by dedicated public servants. The results were accurate. The Big Lie needs to stop.”
“I supported an audit. I didn’t support a mockery, which is what this has become,” said Supervisor Steve Chucri, District 2. “We have too much to do on behalf of the County to keep responding to every rumor out there. I think this letter sets us on a path forward to putting this audit behind us.”
“We are doing the best we can as publicly elected officials. We ran a bipartisan fair election. That's every piece of evidence I've ever seen put in front of us,” said Supervisor Clint Hickman, District 4. “We are operating on facts, evidence, and rule of law. That is why we certified this election.”
“It has been 195 days of the same lies,” said Supervisor Steve Gallardo, District 5. “People who didn’t like the results have been throwing out every conspiracy and rumor and somehow the Senate is taking it all seriously. I ask Senator Fann to show some political courage and get these unqualified firms away from the people’s ballots and election equipment.”
The Arizona Senate commanded the County to turn over all election equipment, ballots and other election materials through a subpoena. A court ruled that the subpoena was valid, and the county turned over nearly 2.1 million ballots, 385 Election Day tabulators, 9 central count tabulators, and over 8 terabytes of data including tabulator logs, voter records, clones of servers and images of early ballot affidavits and ballot images. The Senate provided those election materials to a private company called Cyber Ninjas.
In the signed letter to Senator Fann, Maricopa County elected leaders close by saying:
“Regardless of your intentions when you decided to subpoena our equipment and ballots, this cannot really be what you envisioned. You, Senate President Fann, are the only one with the power to immediately end it. We implore you to recognize the obvious truth: your “auditors” are in way over their heads. They do not have the experience necessary to conduct an audit of an election. They do not know the laws, nor the procedures, nor the best practices. It is inevitable that they will arrive at questionable conclusions.
It is time to end this. For the good of the Senate, for the good of the Country and for the good of the Democratic institutions that define us as Americans.”
Save America
July 16, 2021
Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America
Fox
News and other media outlets
incorrectly side with the
outdated and terrible
Maricopa County Election
Board to report no fraud found
in the Presidential Election.
They spew the gross
misinformation purposefully
put out by the county and the
Associated Press, and IGNORE
the very important Arizona
Senate’s hearing yesterday,
which showed 168,000
fraudulent ballots printed on
illegal paper (unofficial
ballots), 74,000 mail in
ballots received that were
never mailed (magically
appearing ballots), 11,000
voters were added to the voter
rolls AFTER the election and
still voted, all the access
logs to the machines were
wiped, and the election server
was hacked during the
election. They sided
with the County and not the
brave Arizona Senate who is
fighting for the people of
Arizona. The same anchor
at the desk the night Fox
called Arizona for Joe Biden
now wants you to believe there
was no fraud. The anchor
was Bret Baier.
Thankfully, Arizona has strong
State Senators willing to
fight for the truth.
Senator Wendy Rogers
says “I have heard enough.
It’s time to decertify
this election.” Senator
Kelly Townsend said the fraud
was so bad “I want to see
indictments.” Senator
Sonny Borrelli says “I've seen
enough evidence to challenge
the validity of the
certification of the Maricopa
County Election results.”
Arizona shows Fraud and
Voting Irregularities many
times more than would be
needed to change the outcome
of the Election.
July 19, 2021
Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America
Why won't the RINO Maricopa
County Board of Supervisors in
Arizona
give the routers? What are
they trying to hide? They are
fighting for life or death.
What is going on? Give the
routers! Doesn't this mean
that the voting was, despite
their statements to the
contrary, connected to the
internet? The Voter Fraud in
the 2020 Presidential Election
was monumental, and the facts
are coming out daily!
July 22, 2021
Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America
Republican Arizona State Senator Paul Boyer, a RINO if there ever was one, is doing everything in his power to hold up the damning Forensic Audit of Maricopa County which has been taking place over the last 90 days. The people of Arizona are demanding it. Boyer has been nothing but trouble, and nobody knows why. All we demand is Voter Integrity! He is being primaried by a strong and highly respected challenger, former Arizona State Representative Anthony Kern.
Maricopa County Elections Department
July 23, 2021
Maricopa County Launches “Just the Facts” Website to Combat Misinformation
July 23, 2021 (Phoenix) — There’s a new to way to get facts about Maricopa County elections. The Maricopa County Elections Department launched JustTheFacts.Vote today to address questions and misconceptions about the 2020 General Election as well as the processes and procedures that professional, dedicated, and impartial Election Department staff and bi-partisan temporary workers follow every election to ensure the safety, security, and integrity of the vote. The website takes the often-complex world of elections and makes it understandable for residents who may have honest questions about why things are done a certain way.The site is divided into two main sections:
- The Facts section explains laws and guidelines that inform how the County conducts elections, and the checks and balances in place to ensure accuracy.
- The Myth Busters section addresses inaccurate claims that have spread about mail-in ballots, voter registration, the security of county’s election system, and more.
The website further demonstrates Maricopa County’s commitment to transparency and to educating and empowering voters with timely, accurate information. The Elections Department will continue to update the page with new information as it arises.
Visit JustTheFacts.Vote. Subscribe to the “Just the Facts” newsletter.
About the Elections Department
Supported by the Board of Supervisors and Recorder’s Office, the Elections Department administers city, town, school district, special district, county, state and federal elections in Maricopa County. As the second largest voting jurisdiction in the country, the Elections Department serves more than 2.6 million registered voters. Find out more at Maricopa.Vote.
In the midst of a pandemic, more than 2 million Maricopa County voters participated in the 2020 General Election, an 80.51% turnout of the nearly 2.6 million eligible voters. See the steps taken to ensure the integrity of the November General Election here
Myth 1: 74,000 more mail-in ballots were counted in the November 2020 General Election than were sent. FALSE
Myth 2: Maricopa County’s Tabulation System is connected to the internet and was hacked during the General Election. FALSE
Myth 3: Since the County does not have Dominion’s administrative security token and password, County Election Officials did not configure the tabulation equipment for the 2020 Elections. FALSE
Myth 4: The County does not change its Election Management System passwords. FALSE
Myth 5: By not updating the tabulation equipment with windows updates or security patches, the tabulation equipment is at risk. FALSE
Myth 6: Maricopa County relaxed signature verification requirements. FALSE
Myth 7: Maricopa County’s ballot duplication process allowed illegitimate ballots to be counted. FALSE
Myth 8: VoteSecur paper has a special coating that prevents bleed through and Maricopa County used thinner paper for Election Day Voters. FALSE
Myth 9: Sharpies caused overvotes on Election Day ballots. FALSE
Myth 10: Private donations from Mark Zuckerberg and others impacted the election results. FALSE
Myth 11: Maricopa County deleted the SQL database prior to providing it to the Senate. FALSE
Myth 12: Maricopa County did not provide the Senate with early ballot envelope images. FALSE
Myth 13: 3,981 voters were registered to vote after the deadline in violation of an Arizona Supreme Court ruling prior to the election. FALSE
Myth 14: 11,386 November General Election voters were illegally allowed to vote because they were listed on the December 2, 2020 voter file but not listed on the November 7, 2020 voter file. FALSE
Myth 15: Maricopa County committed fraud because 18,000 people voted on Election Day but were subsequently removed from the voter rolls. FALSE
El Condado Maricopa lanza su sitio web “Sólo los Hechos” para combatir la desinformación
El sitio se divide en dos secciones principales:
- La sección de Hechos explica las leyes y lineamientos que informan cómo el Condado lleva a cabo las elecciones, y los controles y equilibrios existentes para asegurar la exactitud.
- La sección de Cazadores de Mitos aborda afirmaciones inexactas que se han difundido sobre las boletas por correo, el registro de votantes, la seguridad del sistema electoral del condado, y más.
Visite SololosHechos.Voto. Suscríbase al boletín informativo "Sólo los Hechos."
Acerca del Departamento de Elecciones
Con el apoyo de la Junta de Supervisores y la Oficina de Registro, el Departamento de Elecciones administra las elecciones municipales, del pueblo, distritos escolares, distritos especiales, del condado, estatales y federales en el Condado Maricopa. Como la segunda jurisdicción electoral más grande del país, el Departamento de Elecciones atiende a más de 2.6 millones de votantes registrados. Obtenga más información: Maricopa.Voto.
En medio de una pandemia, más de 2 millones de votantes del Condado Maricopa participaron en la Elección General del 2020, un 80.51% de la participación de los casi 2.6 millones de votantes elegibles. Vea las medidas adoptadas para asegurar la integridad de la Elección General de noviembre aquí.
Arizona Senate Republicans
July 27, 2021
Statement from Senate President Karen Fann
"During the forming of the audit process, Ken Bennett offered his services as a liaison between the Senate and the auditors. As a past Arizona Secretary of State, Senate President and a family friend for decades, I couldn’t imagine anyone better for this position. Knowing the auditors were from out of state and would need someone to coordinate with the Senate, Maricopa County Supervisors and Elections department, and assist with the logistics in conducting an audit that is the first of its kind in the nation, he is an asset to everyone in the state.
At the July 15th Senate hearing, Mr. Bennett was the expert testifier in describing the problems the audit has encountered since the first day, due to internal problems at the Maricopa County Elections department. Lack of chain of custody, ballot boxes mismarked, duplicate ballots with no corresponding numbers as required by law, and ballots haphazardly stuffed into boxes, to only name a few of the problems encountered. Maricopa County continues to withhold vital information from the public and the auditors which has created additional costs, months of delays and a lack of transparency on their part. Instead of working with the Senate, our constituents, and the auditors, Maricopa County has engaged in a social media campaign to try to control the narrative, instead of providing the whole truth, facts and items required to be produced by the legal subpoenas.
The physical counting of the ballots and machines will be fully complete this week and returned to Maricopa County. Since Maricopa County has been less than cooperative, a question came up a few weeks ago about what happens if the audit numbers don’t match with Maricopa County’s numbers? Our attorney suggested the Senate perform an independent counting of each ballot paper prior to the ballots being returned. This has been accomplished under the direction and authority of the Senate by Randy Pullen, who is a retired auditor with a nationally renowned auditing firm.
This past week members of the media have asked why Mr. Bennett is not engaged in this part of the Senate ballot verification procedure. As Mr. Bennett was quoted in the media, “I shared some box counts of how many ballots were in each box, and that got leaked to the press and I apologized to Senate President Fann. I had promised that information would not be leaked to the press, but it indirectly got done, so that’s how I got barred from the audit".
The auditors are doing the job they were hired to do, albeit more difficult than originally planned due to Maricopa County withholding vital documents and information, which appears to be purposely withholding the truth from the voters. When any audit is complete, the results are explained with supporting documentation of proof to the client. It is irresponsible to disclose partial information to the media since they are not “confirmed” facts until the audit is final. This only leads to confusion and misinformation with the public. For that reason, it is imperative anyone working with the audit is required to adhere to the rules of not disclosing unconfirmed information.
With the completion of the “hands on" work this week, the auditors will now be doing the analysis of all the data collected to submit the results. We sincerely hope Maricopa County will produce the missing documents and information we have requested for the audit to be complete and finalized. The voters deserve to know their votes are safe, secure and legally counted. To that end, Ken Bennett will be involved and a vital part of the draft and final reports to ensure their accuracy with his knowledge and contributions throughout the audit process."
Senate President Karen Fann
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