Arizona Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Wright has demanded Maricopa County officials provide answers about ballots that were allegedly stuffed in black duffle bags on Election Day.
On Saturday, the assistant attorney general asked county officials to produce an accounting of the ballots that were stuffed into the duffle bags during the ballot tabulation process on November 8.
Wright, a member of the state’s Elections Integrity Unit, issued a letter demanding that Thomas Liddy of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office investigate the allegation that both tabulated and non-tabulated ballots were “commingled” in the black duffle bags at polling locations throughout the county, and were then transferred to the election department in Phoenix because they were unable to be properly counted in Maricopa County due to tabulation and ballot printer errors.
“Due to the widespread problems in non-uniform printer configuration settings, many voters were unable to tabulate their ballots on Election Day using on-site tabulators,” Wright explained in the letter. “Instead, voters were instructed to deposit their ballot in ‘Door 3.’ According to statements by Chairman Gates, Recorder Richer, and Maricopa County official communications, ‘Door 3’ ballots were transported to Maricopa County Tabulation and Center to be tabulated by the HiPro 821 or Cannon G1130 tabulators at central count.”
Wright’s letter went on to assert that the county failed to handle the ballots properly, as it combined ballots that had already been tabulated with those that had not yet been tabulated, putting them into the black duffle bags that were shipped to Phoenix. According to an observer of the balloting process, Maricopa County’s alleged mishandling of ballots could potentially impact more than 1,700 votes.
“Maricopa County appears to have failed to adhere to the statutory guidelines in segregating, counting, tabulating, tallying, and transporting the ‘Door 3’ ballots,” the letter continued. “In fact, Maricopa County has admitted that.”
The assistant attorney general then noted that “in some voting locations, ‘Door 3’ non-tabulated ballots were commingled with tabulated ballots at the voting location. Further, we have received a sworn complaint from an election observer indicating that more than 1700 ‘Door 3’ non-tabulated ballots from one voting location were placed in black duffle bags that were intended to be used for tabulated ballots.”
Wright concluded the letter by arguing that “Arizonans deserve a full report and accounting of the myriad problems that occurred in relation to Maricopa County’s administration of the 2022 General Election” — demanding that the county produce a report about the commingling of ballots and information about how the mishandling of the ballots was resolved to provide Arizonans with an accurate election result.
She specifically requested that Maricopa County “provide a written report regarding how many ballots were commingled, how many ballots were placed inside the black duffle bags intended for tabulated ballots, how and when Maricopa became aware of the related problems, and how these problems were ultimately resolved.”
Wright has reportedly refused to certify the state’s election results until the questions surrounding the problems in the county are resolved.
Meanwhile, citizens are also standing up and speaking out against the failures in Maricopa County.
I am ashamed to say I would not give this fellow a second thought if I passed him in the street. Having watched this speech, however, I am now in awe of his eloquence and patriotism.
Maricopa County is the new Zimbabwe. pic.twitter.com/BETZinTaZB
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) November 19, 2022
