Mojave County — The Mojave County Elections Office plans to consider what it would take to conduct a hand count of the county’s general election ballot after the Board of Supervisors voted 4-1. are being formulated.
“We want to restore the trust that voters have in the electoral process,” 5th District Supervisor Ron Gould told the Arizona Republic.
“Whether legal or illegal, people feel disenfranchised, and they don’t want to participate if they feel disenfranchised,” Gould said.
The day after the vote, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said letter He warned supervisors that introducing full hand counting could violate state law.
Fontes said, “If there is a plan to start a full hand count for future elections, would violating state law expose these officials to serious legal risks, including criminal liability?” I’m afraid it will,” he said. “We urge county officials to consider the adverse impacts on the electoral system, voters, and taxpayers that would result from the introduction of electoral procedures that increase the risk of error and have no legal basis or proof of concept.”
Legality issues aside, Mojave County Elections Commissioner Allen Tempert said the potential logistical implications of counting people, including the sheer number of people required to verify individual ballots, could come at a cost. spoke frankly about the challenges of
“You need seven people to vote correctly,” Tempert said.
“I can’t get enough people to do the voting work for me, let alone enough volunteers to help with other things,” he said.
Tempert said they used to attract about 400 to 450 volunteers a year, but that number is now closer to 300. Overseeing the verification process also requires equal representation of Democrats and Republicans so that votes are counted correctly.
Tempert said the county, which is dominated by Republican voters, is already having trouble getting enough Democrat representation to oversee the current ballot counting process.
Nearly half of all registered voters in the county, 74,871, are Republicans, compared with just 19,183 registered Democrats, according to the county. secretary of state‘s office.
“It’s going to be very difficult to have a dedicated workforce to do this and be able to do this exactly,” Tempert said.
Senators Sonny Borrelli and Senator Wendy Rogers, representing parts of the county, both made pre-vote speeches, highlighting why Mojave County believes it is necessary to switch to manual counting.
They argued that electronic voting machines are vulnerable to hacking and that the government has no jurisdiction over electronic voting machines.
“This is a matter of national security,” Borrelli told the council. “If we can’t have free and fair elections, we’re in trouble.”
District 4 Superintendent Gene Bishop was the only person to vote “no” on the report’s production, and said he would maintain that view when the handcount decision was returned to the board. she said.
“We can’t do that,” said Bishop. “So why spend money, time, and manpower on research where we already know the answer?”
Bishop’s biggest concern is making sure the number of votes is legal. The time taken for handcounting may exceed the time allotted for aggregating and submitting results to the Office of the Secretary of State under state law.
Additionally, bringing in hundreds of unvetted volunteers raises serious confidentiality and security concerns. Relying on so many individuals creates ample potential for human error, which can further slow and complicate the process, she argued.
And District 3 Superintendent Buster Johnson endorsed the move, at least to see what the hand count would be, but he’s still not confident it’s the best move for the county. not
“Logistically, it’s going to be a huge deal,” Johnson said.
In addition to costs and personnel, Johnson expressed concern about the potential need for volunteer background checks to enhance security. Officials aren’t sure how much the handcount will cost.
Johnson also noted Borrelli’s mention of the possibility of similar lawsuits in Cochise County. Johnson wondered why Mojave County should go down the same path if it’s already lost in court.
What’s more, the county’s solid voting record raises even more questions about why the change was necessary in the first place.
As Mr. Tempert pointed out at the June 5 meeting, Mojave County has never had an election discord in the more than 20 years he’s worked there.
“We’re solving a problem in Mojave County that doesn’t have a problem,” Johnson said.
Here’s where to contact reporters: LLatch@gannett.com.
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