UPDATE
It looks like Dems balked at the judge’s order to put up a bond so the audit will continue:
An Arizona judge cited concerns about ballot secrecy during an audit of the 2020 election results from Maricopa County, but the process will move forward after Democrats decided not to put up a $1M bond to fund any increase in costs from the delay. https://t.co/PUq50icHmf
— FOX 10 Phoenix (@FOX10Phoenix) April 24, 2021
And Cyber Ninjas addressed the pen issue:
One quick update. They switched to green and red pens before the actual real ballots were out on the floor.
— Jen Fifield (@JenAFifield) April 23, 2021
ORIGINAL POST
The Arizona Senate’s forensic audit of every ballot cast in Maricopa County in the 2020 election started this morning. . .
The long-awaited hand count and forensic audit of the election in Maricopa County starts Friday. Process will be live-streamed nationally @OANN observers will be non-partisan for full transparency. Glad to support @AZSenateGOP in their efforts. #ElectionIntegrity pic.twitter.com/nqRgyPVuaN
— Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) April 21, 2021
. . .and it’s already not going well.
Arizona Republic reporter Jen Fifield, who is on hand as an observer, noticed that the counters had blue pens but they’re “supposed to only have red when you’re around ballots since ballots can read black and blue ink”:
I noticed the counters had blue pens. Supposed to only have red when you’re around ballots since ballots can read black and blue ink.
Those blue pens the counters have could potentially be used to mark the ballots.
I pointed this out to Doug Logan with Cyber Ninjas…
— Jen Fifield (@JenAFifield) April 23, 2021
She then reported that Doug Logan with Cyber Ninjas, the group running the audit, didn’t seem to know of this issue:
Recommended
Doug is running this audit. He told me that his understanding was that blue ink was fine – that the ballots only read black ink.
Then he came back and said actually it seems I am correct. But he still seemed unsure. He said that they would work on this.
— Jen Fifield (@JenAFifield) April 23, 2021
Fifield was later banned from offering further updates:
I’ve been banned from further updates until my shift is over.
— Jen Fifield (@JenAFifield) April 23, 2021
This issue is that the auditors could change votes and even having the pens on hand could throw the whole audit into question:
So… the people "auditing" Arizona's 2020 election are using pens that could be used to change the appearance of ballots that were cast in November. https://t.co/tmZik24Tmn
— Nick Martin (@nickmartin) April 23, 2021
Very troubling observation. #fraudit https://t.co/22mjkr4MYW
— Arizona House Democrats (@AZHouseDems) April 23, 2021
Red alert.? Literally. https://t.co/0WtTno9AmR
— Dave Biscobing (@DaveBiscobing15) April 23, 2021
The same people who screamed nonsense about Sharpies have *literally no idea* how elections are conducted, even as they try to recount the votes https://t.co/Dw2W6J0djV
— Jim Small (@JimSmall) April 23, 2021
Dems were already critical of Cyber Ninjas before any of this:
.@FannKfann passed up an opportunity to hire an experienced auditing company to conduct its ballot review, opting instead for a company without experience and whose founder has said he believes President Joe Biden stole the election. https://t.co/Z7dj2JfLXX via @DillonReedRose
— AZ Capitol Times (@AzCapitolTimes) April 23, 2021
Even worse for Arizona Republicans, a judge just halted the audit as he reviews the procedures in place to secure the ballots:
#BREAKING: A Maricopa County judge has placed a temporary pause on the Arizona Senate's election audit at Veterans Memorial Coliseum until Monday at noon, stressing that the recount needed to "comply in all respects with Arizona law." https://t.co/MFjJClajMm
— FOX 10 Phoenix (@FOX10Phoenix) April 23, 2021
Dems will have to put up a million-dollar bond, however, to cover any increased costs if the judge rules against them:
AUDIT UPDATE: Maricopa County Superior Court has ruled that AZ audit will be paused at 5PM today (to allow for appeal) until Monday 12PM IF plaintiffs provide $1million bond for damages. Judge said "The audit will proceed" but he wants to review policies and procedures in place.
— Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) April 23, 2021
Again, Dems had argued even before the pen issue that there was not sufficient security in place to “protect the integrity of election equipment and ballots.” From Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Dem:
Local reporting yesterday made it clear that @FannKfann and her Cyber Ninjas have not implemented sufficient security to protect the integrity of election equipment and ballots.
I’ve asked @GeneralBrnovich to investigate potential violations of Arizona law. pic.twitter.com/XSyPFl0EoF
— Secretary Katie Hobbs (@SecretaryHobbs) April 23, 2021
She referred to this article from before the audit began today:
ICYMI: “Security lapses plague Arizona Senate’s election audit”https://t.co/u45AdUCWqO
— Secretary Katie Hobbs (@SecretaryHobbs) April 23, 2021
An excerpt:
At issue is the security of Maricopa County’s election equipment and every ballot cast in the 2020 general election. A judge ordered county elections officials to turn everything over to Senate Republicans for the audit. The equipment and ballots had been held in the county facility known as “The Vault,” because security is so tight. But Senate President Karen Fann chose the coliseum for the audit, which is not considered a secure location. “It is a very, very porous, what we call, ‘Soft target public venue,'” said de la Guerra.
And from yesterday:
Yesterday, we found a side door propped open at the AZ Coliseum, entered the facility and made our way to the Maricopa County ballots. Today, a judge ordered a temporary halt to the #ArizonaAudit, based in part, on security concerns. It was the 4th day we did this.#azfamily pic.twitter.com/3j2q9FipZc
— Morgan Loew (@morganloewcbs5) April 23, 2021
Hobbs is now asking the state AG to investigate:
AZ Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is asking AZ Attorney General Mark Brnovich to investigate potential violations of Arizona law over the Senate's audit of ballots cast in Maricopa County in November 2020. https://t.co/ez2pA4dhat pic.twitter.com/fadC18p0If
— azfamily 3TV CBS 5 (@azfamily) April 23, 2021
This post has been updated.
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