Takeaways: In debate, Arizona secretary of state race all about 2020 election denials
USA TodayDec 22, 2022
The Facts
The Cochise County, Ariz. board of supervisors voted 2-1 on Monday in favor of a hand-count audit in all precincts for the Nov. 8 midterm elections. The vote came after two Republican supervisors previously voted against it before facing pressure from GOP voters to reverse course.
The lone Democrat on the board, chairwoman Ann English, voted against both proposals, arguing the county's insurance wouldn't protect them from expected lawsuits. The county's attorney Brian McIntyre said supervisors could be held personally liable in a civil action, with the hand count potentially being found "unlawful."
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Those skeptical of machine-counted ballots are simply victims of Donald Trump's baseless election lies. Experts and ballot counters alike will tell you that hand counts — except in the smallest jurisdictions — are not only more labor intensive but also inaccurate during recounts. If Americans want to ensure election integrity, machine counts are the way to go.
Republican narrative
The idea that establishment politicians in Arizona should be in charge of ballot-counting decisions is lunacy. For example, Katie Hobbs' office just sent out 6K erroneous ballots, so how can voters trust her judgment on how recounts are conducted? The voters in Cochise County support hand-tabulated recounts, and that's what they deserve.