Arizona secretary of state threatens to decertify voting machines examined by 2020 election auditors
Thomas McDonald
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Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs sent a letter to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors stating that she would consider decertifying election equipment at the center of the election audit if the county attempted to reuse them in future elections.
“I have grave concerns regarding the security and integrity of these machines,” Hobbs, a Democrat, wrote. The machines have been under examination by Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based firm that has been conducting the audit on behalf of the Arizona Senate.
“My Office is urging the County not to re-deploy any of the subpoenaed machines that it turned over to the Senate in any future elections. Instead, the County should acquire new machines to ensure secure and accurate elections in Maricopa County going forward,” she continued.
“If the County intends to re-deploy the subpoenaed equipment, over which the County lost custody and control, for use in future Arizona elections, please notify my office as soon as possible … so that we may properly consider decertification proceedings,” she added.
Hobbs clarified that the threat of decertification only applies to “specific pieces of subpoenaed election equipment that the county turned over to the Senate and its contractors, and not to the underlying Dominion voting system.”
The audit, which started on April 23, consists of a recount of 2.1 million ballots, a forensic audit of the voting machines, and follow-up interviews with voters. Former President Donald Trump has cheered on Arizona’s effort to audit the election, insisting that it will prove Arizona was a “scam election” state.
Hobbs voiced her concerns over the audit in a letter dated May 5 to the Senate Audit Liaison Ken Bennett. Her seven concerns were based on the disclosure of counting procedures by the state Senate and Cyber Ninjas arguing that the procedures are “vague and insufficient to ensure accuracy and consistency.”