Maricopa County’s Only ‘Remarkable Effort’ Was to Disenfranchise Voters

Maricopa County’s Only ‘Remarkable Effort’ Was to Disenfranchise Voters

Maricopa County dropped the ball. They botched the election, and there is simply no way for politicians to gaslight their way out of it. After years of fearmongering from the media and the left that election integrity measures would suppress and disenfranchise voters, it turns out no one suppresses and disenfranchises voters quite like politicians and bureaucrats in Maricopa County.

Rather than taking accountability for their failures, they have rubbed their incompetence in the faces of frustrated voters, smugly downplaying their failure and patting themselves on the back, asserting that they made a “remarkable effort.”

All eyes were on this election. Everyone knew it would be contentious, that key races would be close, and that record levels of Republican voters would show up to vote in-person on election day. Given this, one would think election officials would go above and beyond to ensure every minute detail was ironed out so that the election process was beyond reproach.

Instead, within minutes of polls opening at 6 am, reports were coming in that tabulators were not accepting ballots. Quickly, the number of impacted voting centers grew to more than 60 out of the 223 that were open. And of the 95 voting centers that were open only on election day, nearly half were impacted.

It took seven hours for the County to figure out what was going on – that the printers weren’t printing correctly. Then it took another five and a half hours (just 30 minutes before the polls closed) to get every location back up and running. Oh yes, that’s remarkable – remarkably bad.

It wasn’t just long lines—though undoubtedly some voters just gave up and went home instead of dealing with the mess Maricopa County created. The biggest injustice was the actual disenfranchisement of voters.

Here’s how that happened. A voter signed into a voting center and filled out their ballot, but the tabulator couldn’t read it. They were told by official poll workers that they can either place it in “Door 3” and trust that the County will securely deliver it downtown later that night and accurately tabulate it, or they can spoil their ballot and go to another voting center with tabulators that actually work.

If they went with the latter option, as some did, they spoiled their ballot and walked out of the voting center. But when they arrived at the next one, they were told they had already voted, because they were never signed out of the first location. So, they were then told to cast a provisional ballot.

However, that ballot can’t be counted, and it wasn’t counted, because a provisional ballot is only counted if the person hasn’t already voted. Because of this, as soon as they left the first location, they were doomed, and they were disenfranchised.

We don’t yet know how many voters were stripped of their vote in this way. It could be hundreds, or it could be thousands. What we do know is that it’s impossible for the numbers to reconcile now.

Maricopa County has attempted to redirect blame by saying they provided a “Door 3” option, but they botched that as well. In at least two voting centers, they mixed the “Door 3” ballots that had not been tabulated with the ballots that had been tabulated. That meant retabulating all of the ballots from those locations, and then backing out the numbers from the original tally.

And as for those voters that were assured their “Door 3” ballots would be the first to be counted? Well, it wasn’t until Monday the 21st of November, 13 days after the election, that all election day ballots were finally counted.

Maricopa County’s catastrophic failure has only solidified the lack of trust in our election system. And all of this in the backdrop of a Recorder who just last year started his own PAC to campaign against candidates running in elections he oversees (a clear conflict of interest). A Recorder who donated to far-left political causes. And a Recorder who, just when early ballots were being mailed out by his office, illegally placed the thumb of government on the scale to campaign against commonsense voter ID requirements with taxpayer resources.

All of this could have been avoided if Maricopa County was serious about running a smooth election. The County could have implemented on-site tabulation for early ballots to help get results on election night. They could have tested the tabulators. They could have tested the printers. And they could have spent a little less time speaking from their Misinformation Board, hosting press conferences, and trolling people on Twitter and a little more time preparing for the election. Instead, voters were disenfranchised, and once again, Maricopa County became the laughingstock of the country.

Assuming this was gross negligence on the part of Maricopa County (and not intentional sabotage), the voters are entitled to a full investigation and a contest of the election. The Attorney General appears to have initiated an investigation, and we do anticipate litigation by some of the candidates that will force the County into court in the next couple of weeks. Make no mistake, the actions being taken by the AG and pending litigation would not be possible without the thousands of Arizona voters who reached out to the campaigns and law enforcement about their eyewitness accounts and experiences on election day. To those that stepped up to tell their stories, we thank you.

Also, there are efforts to protest the election results or to call for a “redo” of the election through some form of legislative action or by preventing certification, but the reality is that the only place that redress can be achieved is through the courts. We understand that awaiting legal remedies is frustrating, but that is the only mechanism in place under state law and the constitution for contesting election results or to challenge the illegal activities that occurred on election day.

Coinciding with litigation and a potential AG investigation, a statewide recount is set to begin in at least two races, one of which—the Attorney General race—includes candidates who are separated by 500 votes. The outcome in these close races will likely hinge on what is uncovered and discovered through litigation. And with it, hopefully some remedy will be provided for the disenfranchised voters on election day.

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Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!

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Arizona Free Enterprise Club’s Full List of Endorsed Candidates and Positions on Eight Ballot Measures

Arizona Free Enterprise Club’s Full List of Endorsed Candidates and Positions on Eight Ballot Measures

Election Day is just a few days away. As you prepare, below is a full list of Free Enterprise Club endorsed candidates and our positions on eight of the ballot measures.

Statewide

GovernorSecretary of StateAttorney GeneralTreasurer
Kari LakeMark FinchemAbe HamadehKimberly Yee
    
Superintendent of Public InstructionCorporation Commission (vote for 2)
Tom HorneNick Myers
Kevin Thompson

Federal

US SenateCD1CD2CD3CD4
Blake MastersDavid SchweikertEli CraneJeff ZinkKelly Cooper
     
CD5CD6CD7CD8CD9
Andy BiggsJuan CiscomaniLuis PozzoloDebbie LeskoPaul Gosar

Arizona State House

LD1LD2LD3LD4LD5
Selina BlissChristian LamarAlex KolodinMatt GressJennifer Treadwell
Quang NguyenJoseph ChaplikMaria Syms
LD7LD8LD9LD10LD11
David MarshallCaden DarrowKathy PearceBarbara ParkerTatiana Peña
Mary Ann MendozaJustin Heap
LD12LD13LD14LD15LD16
Terry RoeLiz HarrisTravis GranthamJacqueline ParkerRob Hudelson
Jim ChastonJulie WilloughbyLaurin HendrixNeal Carter
LD17LD19LD21LD23LD25
Cory McGarrGail GriffinDeborah McEwenMichele PeñaMichael Carbone
Rachel JonesLupe DiazTim Dunn
LD27LD28LD29LD30
Kevin PayneBeverly PingerelliSteve MontenegroJohn Gillette
Ben TomaAustin SmithLeo Biasiucci

Arizona State Senate

LD1LD2LD3LD4LD7
Ken BennettSteve KaiserJohn KavanaghNancy BartoWendy Rogers
     
LD8LD9LD10LD13LD14
Roxana HolzapfelRobert ScantleburyDavid FarnsworthJD MesnardWarren Petersen
     
LD15LD17LD22 (Write-In)LD23LD27
Jake HoffmanJustine WadsackSteve RobinsonGary SnyderAnthony Kern
LD29   
Janae Shamp

County

Maricopa County Attorney
Rachel Mitchell

Local City and Town Council

Gilbert Town CouncilPhoenix City Council District 6
Bobbi BuchliSam Stone

School Board

Cave CreekChandlerDeer ValleyFountain HillsGilbert
Jackie UlmerKurt RohrsPaul CarverLibby SettleChad Thompson
 Charlotte GollaTony BouieMadicyn Reid 
     
HigleyKyreneMesaParadise ValleyRoosevelt
Anna Van HoekKristi OhmanRachel WaldenSandra ChristensenJoseph Dailey
Roy Morales Ed SteeleLisa Farr 
   Eddy Jackson 
    
ScottsdaleVailEVIT – District 5DysartPeoria
Amy CarneyAnastasia TsatsakisCien Hyatt LukeJennifer DrakeHeather Rooks
Carine WernerLeroy Smith Dawn DensmoreDevon Updegraff-Day
Prescott
Linda Conn (2-year term)
Michele Hamer (4-year term)

Judicial Retention

Arizona Supreme CourtMaricopa County Superior CourtCourt of Appeals Division I
Hon. James P. BeeneHon. Bradley AstrowskyHon. Cynthia J. Bailey
Hon. William G. MontgomeryHon. Alison S. Bachus 
 Hon. Robert I. Brooks 
 Hon. Rusty D. Crandell 
 Hon. Jennifer Green 
 Hon. Michael J. Herrod 
 Hon. Joseph S. Kiefer 
 Hon. Susanna C. Pineda 
 Hon. Michael Z. Rassas 
 Hon. Tracey Westerhausen 
 Hon. Cassie Woo 

Ballot Measures

Vote YESProposition 128Proposition 129Proposition 132Proposition 309
Vote NOProposition 209Proposition 211Proposition 308Proposition 310

Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network

Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!

Join our FREE Grassroots Action List to stay up to date on the latest battles against big government and how YOU can help influence crucial bills at the Arizona State Legislature.

Mesa Residents Should Reject Props 476 and 477 to Protect Their Hard-Earned Dollars

Mesa Residents Should Reject Props 476 and 477 to Protect Their Hard-Earned Dollars

Right now, public unions are trying to fleece the taxpayers of Mesa. In addition to the dozens of candidates, judicial retention decisions, and statewide propositions, voters in Mesa will also decide on two amendments to their city Charter that will result in a shakedown of taxpayers and would insulate politicians from accountability.

The first, Prop 476, would give Mesa Unions special access to leverage for taxpayer-funded benefits behind closed doors. The other, Prop 477, removes accountability for wasteful spending, allowing unelected bureaucrats to spend money without council approval and letting elected politicians off the hook.

Vote NO on Prop 476

The city of Mesa used to engage in a process known as “meet and confer” with public labor unions. This process requires city bureaucrats to “discuss” wages, benefits, and time off with union bosses. In reality, it is a way to bamboozle the city and fleece the taxpayers with millions in wasteful spending.

The “meet and confer” process requires the city to meet with unions in “good faith.” So, if the city doesn’t kowtow to the demands of the taxpayer-funded union bosses, they can threaten to sue the city for not engaging in good faith, resulting in costly litigation. In other words, good faith simply means the union bosses get what they want.

Thankfully, Mesa backed off and ended this crummy practice in 2017 when the Goldwater Institute informed them that it violated their Charter. Now, just five years later, the unions are coming back, trying to convince Mesa voters to amend the Charter to permanently allow them to negotiate these backroom deals with city bureaucrats that will cost taxpayers millions.

There’s a reason Mesa’s Charter currently prohibits it—and why neighboring towns like Gilbert prohibited it in 2014—to protect taxpayers and to prevent the city from becoming the next Phoenix with its $3.4 billion in pension debt.

Vote NO on Prop 477

Then there is Prop 477, also amending the city Charter, to allow unelected bureaucrats to spend thousands of taxpayer dollars without ever getting approval from the city council. Currently, city bureaucrats are limited to $25,000 in purchases without council approval. Prop 477 rips off that guardrail and allows the council to raise the cap however high it wants.

Just look to California, where the Westminster City Manager hired a consultant costing taxpayers $6,400 a month, which was below his purchasing limit of $175,000. The city council was never consulted and found out about the deal two months after the contract had been signed.

Prop 477 opens the floodgates for bureaucrats to spend in the dark, allowing politicians off the hook to wash their hands of unpopular purchases and preventing voters from reining in wasteful spending.

Propositions 476 and 477 are about empowering big unions and unelected bureaucrats to conduct more of the city’s business in the dark and out of the sight of taxpayers and their elected representatives.  Residents of Mesa should resoundingly reject both to protect their hard-earned dollars and retain their power to hold politicians accountable at the ballot box.

Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network

Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!

Join our FREE Grassroots Action List to stay up to date on the latest battles against big government and how YOU can help influence crucial bills at the Arizona State Legislature.