Breaking Digest previously reported that Arizona Secretary of State, Katie Hobbs, threatened to sue Cochise County if they vote for a hand recount of ballots in the upcoming 2022 midterm election.
The Board of Supervisors provided the following explanation for their decision:
Over 100 volunteers have mobilized and seek to be vetted, trained and participate in a hand count of all ballots in our County for the upcoming General Election. They are wishing to take part in this way to help people (including a few of the participants) who have lost trust in elections to see that elections are reliable and secure in our county. Two other results of this hand count will be simply a 100% audit of machine accuracy and a test of our back-up plan in case some or all of our machines become compromised or fail at last minute. This count will not affect the outcome of this election County Recorder David Stevens, our State Senator and Representatives are in support of this and will be able to follow through with proper action in the Legislature, if that is needed. None of the voting process will be altered. Must be completed prior to Certification of Election. Machine count will determine election outcome.
Election Dept Staff or BOS Designee to Call for applicants to execute the hand count. The same to select, vet, and train applicants. Using methods prescribed by statute for hand counts and suggestions from Recorder Stevens, selected staff members will design a secure and executable plan. Provide for supplies and secure areas to hold the hand counts. Report results of the hand count to Board of Supervisors not less than 5 days prior to the Certification of Election.
In response to Hobbs’ threat, the Arizona Freedom Caucus has released the following statement:
At a time when confidence in our electoral system seems to be at an all-time low, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs seems intent on further eroding the people’s confidence. Cochise County does not want to do anything other than ensure the ballots were accurately counted yet Secretary Hobbs, who is coincidentally on the ballot in a very tight race for Governor, is intent on preventing this audit from occurring. Rather than working with them to lawfully ensure that votes are properly counted, Hobbs is instead threatening legal action.
The Arizona Freedom Caucus wants nothing more than free and fair elections that the people can have confidence in and firmly supports a hand recount in any county. Arizona Freedom Caucus Vice Chair, Rep. Jacqueline Parker, said the following:
“The questions surrounding the 2020 election have left a bad taste in the mouths of many. The people simply want an electoral system they can have confidence in, yet Secretary Hobbs seems only interested in subverting the integrity of our electoral process. If we lose faith in our elections, we lose faith in our system of governance as a whole.”
The Arizona Freedom Caucus condemns Secretary Hobbs’ continual attacks on the integrity of our elections and stands behind all efforts to lawfully make our election as fair as possible.
During the meeting in Bisbee, AZ on Monday, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors voted to require a full hand recount of ballots for the upcoming midterm election, despite warnings from Hobbs and others that the decision was unlawful and would result in a lawsuit.
A massive crowd of residents attended the meeting to speak in support of this vote.
More from azcentral:
During a four-hour meeting and public testimony, Republican supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd voted for the measure put forth by Crosby. Supervisor Ann English, a Democrat, voted against it.
“It’s about the people, its about our right to vote and how our votes are counted and feel confident in the election process,” Judd said during the meeting.
State Elections Services Director Kori Lorick called into the meeting on behalf of the Secretary of State’s Office and said the board would face a lawsuit if the hand-count proposal passed. A state lawmaker also warned the board that he would request that the attorney general investigate the board’s move, which could result in the withholding of state funds to Cochise County.
Lorick also said it would be “impossible to complete an accurate hand count of an election with dozens of races on the ballot without redirecting critical resources needed to run the election.”
With just two weeks until the election, she warned the proposal would cause voter confusion.
“Attempting to implement a full hand count at this late stage would jeopardize the county’s ability to conduct a fair and accurate election,” Lorick said.
