(The Center Square) – Maricopa County is now redoing testing of the logic and accuracy of election equipment following an alleged theft by a temporary election worker last week.
The county recorder's office told The Center Square that the employee was fired on Friday. The sheriff's office is currently investigating. Walter Lingfield, who reportedly stole the key fob, remains in police custody. The Washington Post The newspaper reported that the man said he had stolen a key chain intended for election-related use, raising concerns among county authorities.
“On Friday morning, Maricopa County Board of Elections staff conducting their daily inventory confirmed that items had been stolen from the vote counting center on Thursday night. Staff took immediate action to investigate the matter and contacted the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office,” a county spokesperson said in an email to reporters Monday morning.
“While the stolen items have been recovered, elections staff are currently reprogramming all equipment and re-running logic and accuracy tests to ensure the integrity of Maricopa County elections,” the email added.
The Arizona Secretary of State's office said the steps taken after the theft should “reassure the public” about the “security measures that are in place.”
“Our systems are not only capable of detecting anomalies, but are supported by experts dedicated to upholding our democratic process. While this incident is unwelcome, it speaks to the effectiveness of the security protocols built into Arizona's election systems,” the statement said.
“The swift action by Maricopa County Board of Elections staff, including re-conducting logic and accuracy tests, will further strengthen the protections of all affected devices. This swift response will prevent any potential impacts to future elections. The Secretary of State's Office will work with law enforcement to address and investigate this incident to ensure accountability and swift justice,” the office added.
The primary election is July 30th. county It is the second largest voting jurisdiction in the country.
The county told The Center Square it had briefed party leadership about the devices being retested.
“As is customary, party leadership was informed on Friday about the L&A tests scheduled to take place over the weekend. This morning, both chairs were informed of the theft and why the logic and accuracy tests were being resumed,” they said in an email.
