What's going on with the election audit in Arizona? Yahoo News Explains
We’re about halfway through 2021, but there’s still a battle over former President Donald Trump’s discredited claims that he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden due to widespread fraud. One of the more spectacular ways this is playing out is in Maricopa County, Ariz., where an unorthodox “audit” of votes is now into its second month, with no immediate end in sight. If you haven’t been following this closely, the details can be a little confusing. So we’ve compiled answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Video Transcript
- We're about halfway through 2021, but somehow, we're still arguing about what happened in November 2020. I'm, of course, referring to the battle of former President Donald Trump's discredited claims that he lost the presidential election to Joe Biden due to widespread fraud.
One of the more spectacular ways this is playing out is in Maricopa County, Arizona, where an unorthodox audit of votes is now in its second month with no immediate end in sight. If you haven't been following this closely, the details can be a little confusing. So we've compiled answers to the most frequently asked questions.
First, was there any evidence of fraud? No.
- There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Arizona. The results were validated in a partial recount, and two extra audits found no issues.
- Can the latest audit's findings overturn the election results? Also, no.
- The recount cannot change President Biden's victory in the Grand Canyon state.
- Is the company overseeing the audit an expert on this kind of thing? Once again, no.
- Cyber Ninjas, that's the company name, is conducting the audit for the 2020 election results in Arizona's largest county. Now, the company is not an experienced auditor, did not submit a bid for the audit, and its leader has posted election conspiracy theories on Twitter.
- So who's paying for it? The first $150,000 came from the Arizona State Senate, but the cost is expected to be much higher so the rest is coming from donations. How is the recount going? Not great.
- County voting machines might be compromised. Maricopa County will have to throw the machines out and buy new ones because they haven't been secured during the audit.
- The GOP-dominated County Board of Supervisors says the process has left Arizona a quote, "laughing stock."
GRANT WOORDS: This was a clown show. They literally were last week checking the ballots to see if there was bamboo in them because they had some rumor that Chinese people had dropped a bunch of Biden ballots.
KEN BENNETT: Do you really think thousands of ballots were flown in from Asia?
- No, I don't personally, but there are a lot of people that do.
- What are local leaders saying about the recount? The Arizona GOP is split. There's still support among many in the state legislature, but after an erroneous and provably false claim that Maricopa officials had deleted voter information to cover up improprieties, the Republican-controlled County Board of Supervisors has come out against it.
STEPHEN RICHTER: This is so frustratingly irrational. I defeated the former chief elections official who is a Democrat in 2020. And you know, just the idea that I would be covering up for the guy that I spent the previous year criticizing is facially laughable.
- After certifying results in November, the Republican governor has mostly tried to stay out.
DOUG DUCEY: Let this be completed and then we can talk about what the findings are.
- Democrats, like Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, are not huge fans.
KATIE HOBBS: This is a group of people who are clearly partisan. It is headed by a company that has no auditing or election experience. And they're making up the rules as they go along.
- So wait, why are they doing this again? Good question. Supporters say it's to restore faith in elections, but the more likely outcome will do anything but that.
STEPHEN RICHTER: What about candidates who are advancing this theory? Are they going to say to voters, you know, it's all rigged. Your vote doesn't matter. But by the way, vote for me in 2022. That's just so facially absurd. It's confusing, and it's frustrating.
