ATLANTA — The Carter Center today issued a preliminary statement detailing its observations of logic and accuracy testing of Arizona’s voting and counting devices, which took place October 5-11.

A nonpartisan observer at the center reported that all the equipment in the nine counties they observed went through rigorous testing and passed. This indicates that it is ready to use and can be expected to function correctly in the midterm elections.

Logic and accuracy testing served their intended purpose, catching and fixing several errors before they hit the ground running on Election Day. Observers from both Democrats and Republicans were present at nearly every site the Center observed. The Carter Center is not aware of any substantive objections raised by registered interested party observers with respect to the testing process or its results.

Election officials have taken steps to make the testing process accessible and understandable to outside individuals who have come to monitor it. Officials provided handouts about the process and allowed staff to answer questions. Transparency measures like these play an important role in accurately assessing whether the public can trust elections to be safe and fair.

Looking ahead, the Carter Center encourages counties to consider taking steps beyond what is required by law to raise awareness of this important opportunity for the public to learn more about elections. Counties are required by state law to give public notice of the time and place of testing at least 48 hours in advance. However, notices may be provided in multiple languages, especially in counties covered by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act. The notice may also be published on the county website or other places easily accessible to the public.

As a pilot program to strengthen public scrutiny of elections; and ARS§16-449, the Carter Center has mobilized impartial citizen observers to oversee the process in nine counties: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Graham, La Paz, Maricopa, Navajo, Pima and Pinal. Observers are asked standardized questions covering issues such as providing information about testing, the general environment, the bipartisan nature of the testing process, adherence to proper procedures, and errors detected and corrected during testing. I used a checklist. Carter, an observer at his center, said he was only able to cover nine of his 15 counties during this pilot exercise, but the center was happy to welcome observers from all 15 of the Arizona elections. Kudos to the admin.

Nonpartisan election observers believe that elections are by the people, for the people, and therefore representatives of the public interest have the opportunity to assess key election processes and determine whether they have been conducted in a manner that the public can trust. based on the idea that it should Through systematic, fact-based reporting, nonpartisan observers dispel election rumors and offer data-driven reform proposals where appropriate.

The Carter Center plans to provide additional bipartisan public comment on the conduct of the 2022 Arizona midterm elections, combining first-hand observation and public election data analysis where permitted by law.

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contact: Dan Grant, daniel.grant@cartercenter.org

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A non-profit, non-governmental organization, the Carter Center has helped improve the lives of people in more than 80 countries by resolving conflicts. Promoting democracy, human rights and economic opportunity. disease prevention; improved mental health care; The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosaline Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health around the world.