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Controversy over 2020 election ballot storage amid Senate audit efforts
Officials with the Arizona State Senate say they had planned to do the audit at the County office, but Maricopa County elections officials are getting them ready to be shipped off.
PHOENIX - On March 2, members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors held a closed-to-the-public emergency executive session that is linked to whats is happening with the Arizona State Senate and the county regarding the November 2020 election.
County officials say the session comes off the heels of newly-received information from the State Senate concerning compliance with election-related subpoenas. On the same day, the county's Elections Department made a tweet that shows the preparation of 2.1 million ballots to transfer to the State Senate’s custody.
On Feb. 27, a judge ruled that the State Senate could access these ballots and election equipment, in their attempt to try and audit the 2020 election results.
During the November 2020 election, ex-President Donald Trump failed to win Arizona's 11 electoral votes, which were won by President Joe Biden. Two subsequent audits show the county’s equipment had no malicious software or errors.
While Maricopa County officials say they are getting ballots ready to be shipped off, officials with the Arizona State Senate say they had planned to do the audits at the Maricopa County office.
The Arizona Republican Party Senate Caucus has issued a statement, which reads:
In an e-mail response, Maricopa County officials say the subpoena does not command the audit to be done on county property.
As the squabble continues, state Democratic lawmakers are speaking out.
"Politicians who are pushing the Big Lie could be alone in a room and anywhere with your ballot, and it goed against the law that is required up iuntil this point," said State Rep. Athena Salman (D-District 26).
State Rep. Salman says this is a slippery slope.
"It looks as if it is a part of a coordinated effort for the State Legislature to get their hands on your ballot to decide who you can elect," said State Rep. Salman.