The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has approved a plan that would spend nearly $500,000 to audit the county’s election system.

The board, which includes four Republicans and one Democrat, voted unanimously to spend $400,000 on an “comprehensive review of the county’s election process” by outside companies.

County auditor Susan Adams said the independent audit is “designed to ensure that the election process is underway in accordance with the law.” That it is effectively driven. The process is efficient. ”

The board also voted to spend $80,000 on an independent audit of vote counting and other technologies and equipment used to carry out the election.

The Thomas Galvin Commission, a longtime defending county election management in response to criticism from Republicans, said it believes the county has done an exceptional job running elections last year after the issue of well-published voting printing in 2022 led to delays in frustration.

“But what we shouldn’t, what this committee should not do, is that, in its glory, everything is wonderful, perfect, peach-sharp,” he said.

Voting will come in four years The Arizona Senate conducted a distrustful review of the county’s 2020 election Some Republican officials tried to verify President Donald Trump’s false claims that he defeated former President Joe Biden that year.

“Unfortunately, I believe that many of the statements at the time were false and a lot of conspiracy, but a lot of false information about our election.”

However, Garardo voted in favor of conducting an independent audit this year. He said he is confident in the county’s election management, but called future audits “a step right.”

“I think once I complete this review I’ll come back to say, ‘Yeah, we have a very solid, safe election’,” he said. “But I was expecting some possible recommendations.”

Republican Galvin and manager Debbie Lesco sought an independent review of the county’s elections shortly after they each took office this year.

“For one thing, I want to be sure that everything is great and that if there are any changes that are needed, I can vote to change them,” said Lesco, who voted against certifying Biden’s victory over Trump in 2020 while serving in Congress. “The other thing is that the public is looking for this.”

The Republican-led board’s solid defense of conspiracy theory of counter-offensive fraud claiming widespread voter fraud in election results in 2020 and 2022 has led to relationships with Trump supporters who regularly appear at board meetings to criticize supervisors in particular.

It is not yet known who will perform the audit. Lesko said the project will go out for public bids.

“Of course, you need to be qualified and experienced to be a winner,” she said.