Claim: Maricopa County Posts “Heat Map” of Republican Voters Finds 84% of Voting Machine Issues in Republican Areas
The 2022 midterm elections continue to spark unsubstantiated fraud claims in the battleground state of Arizona. For example, some social media users have argued that a map of Republican voters in Maricopa County displayed at the central tallying facility in Phoenix is a sign of fraud.
“Maricopa County Kept GOP Heat Map of Prospective Voters Hanging on Wall,” reads the headline. December 12th Gateway Critics article“84% of Vote Centers that had problems with their machines on Election Day were in bright red districts!”
This article includes a photo of a map of Maricopa County, with some areas highlighted in red.
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A similar version of the claim is shared twitter When Facebook.
But heat map – Maps overlaid with color to represent data – What you see on the wall is not evidence of malice. Data from the map is used to determine where to set future voting locations. The Maricopa County Elections Office has his map of Republican voter heats, but he has one Democratic voter, and there are total voters, a spokesperson for the office said.
Additionally, constituencies affected by the printing error during the midterm elections were overwhelmingly non-Republican, contrary to claims in social media posts. We actually found that the region leaned heavily toward the Democratic Party.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared this allegation for comment.
Heatmaps are no proof of election fraud
Maricopa County election spokesman Megan Gilbertson said in an email to USA TODAY that the department will use heat maps showing historical voter turnout for both parties to determine future polling locations.
“The Maricopa County Records Department has a team that does all the maps in-house,” says Gilbertson. “For elections, such as presidential preference elections, which are party-only elections, we use voter turnout data by party. For future planning for primaries and general elections, we use all voter maps.”
Gilbertson said the department has voter turnout maps of Democrats, Republicans, and general voters posted together in the hallways of the Maricopa County Tally and Election Center. She emailed her USA TODAY. Pictures of the three maps.
Printing glitches primarily affected Democratic voters
Printers broke down at 70 polling places in Maricopa County, but Gilbertson said voters were able to vote elsewhere.
“Voters can choose from any of the 223 polling places on Election Day, rather than being assigned to one polling place within their precinct,” said Gilbertson.
so November 28 Board of Directors meeting, Maricopa County elections director Scott Jarrett said the printing problem is not unique to any particular region or political party. The problem occurred where there was a particular type of printer. Oki B432.
Fact check: Temporary Voting Suspension Caused by Printing Glitch in Arizona
Washington Post Analysis of election data found that approximately 37% of registered voters in affected districts were Republicans. Analysis shows that this percentage is virtually the same as the percentage of Republicans in the county as a whole.
The Washington Post, meanwhile, found that the printer problem also affected major Democratic districts, including eastern and southern Phoenix, where Democrats are about 40 percent higher than Republicans. Did.
This claim is Reuters When Associated Press likewise.
Our Rating: Partly Wrong
Based on our research, we assess the claim that Maricopa County posted a “heat map” of Republican voters and that 84% of voting machine problems were in Republican neighborhoods is partially false. I’m here. The agency posted a Republican heat map, but the article is misleading. Because this map was posted alongside a map showing Democratic voter turnout and total voter turnout. And the 84% figure is just plain wrong. A Washington Post analysis found that 37% of voters in affected districts were registered as Republicans.
Fact-check sources:
- Megan Gilbertson, Dec. 22, email exchange with USA TODAY
- Washington Post, Nov. 13, Arizona districts with voting problems were overwhelmingly non-Republican
- Maricopa County (YouTube), Nov. 28, Special Meeting of Auditors on November 28, 2022
- Maricopa County Elections Office, Nov. 27, Maricopa County response
- Reuters, Dec. 20, Fact check heat map showing Republican voters in Maricopa County does not prove voter fraud during the midterm elections
- Associated Press, Dec. 14, Maricopa County Shows Voter Maps for Both Parties, Contrary to Claims
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