Here's where election-denying candidates are running to control voting
2 years, 11 months ago

Here's where election-denying candidates are running to control voting

NPR  

Here's where election-denying candidates are running to control voting Enlarge this image toggle caption Steve Helber/AP Steve Helber/AP Mark Finchem was at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. To be clear, Republican election officials in the state deemed the results "free, fair, and accurate" and even a discredited GOP-led "audit" run in the state's largest county agreed Biden won. An NPR analysis of 2022 secretary of state races across the country found at least 20 Republican candidates running who question the legitimacy of President Biden's 2020 win, even though no evidence of widespread fraud has been uncovered about the race over the last 14 months. "The reasons why Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 election failed is because there were state officials who refused to substantiate his claims of fraud," said Franita Tolson, an election law expert at the University of Southern California. Incumbent Scott Schwab corrected Trump's false claims about mail voting security in 2020, and at least one Republican challenger, Mike Brown, is seizing on those comments to call for audits and defend Trump.

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History of this topic

Arizona’s secretary of state mulls gubernatorial primary against Hobbs
1 month, 1 week ago

Arizona’s secretary of state mulls gubernatorial primary against Hobbs

Politico  

The operatives said that Fontes hasn’t made any decisions yet — and doesn’t take doing so lightly, as his entrance would make for a messy and expensive primary — but that he’s been receptive to their entreaties. “We did what we needed to do, and I’m going to work with the Legislature that Arizonans elected.” State Sen. Priya Sundareshan, chair …

'Too late': Arizona court rules voting access law put in place last year can be ignored
1 month, 3 weeks ago

'Too late': Arizona court rules voting access law put in place last year can be ignored

Raw Story  

The Republican-stacked Supreme Court of Arizona has shot down an attempt by Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to ensure an easier voting process in Pinal County, reported Votebeat Arizona on Tuesday. The opinion, written by Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer, found that forcing Pinal County officials to change their process to comply with Fontes' rule would cause “unacceptable risk …

Experts warn vote tally certification refusals could undermine 2024 election
3 months, 1 week ago

Experts warn vote tally certification refusals could undermine 2024 election

Raw Story  

Two months ahead of the November presidential election, Colorado officials are warning that refusal by local election canvass board members to certify results fuels misinformation and threatens voter trust in the entire election process. CREW identified 35 election officials who voted against certifying results between 2020 and 2023, including three in Colorado: Nancy Pallozzi in Jefferson County, Candice Stutzriem in …

Arizona 'fake elector' flips on GOP scheme to steal 2020 election
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Arizona 'fake elector' flips on GOP scheme to steal 2020 election

Raw Story  

Last week, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes teased that one of the 11 "fake electors" charged in the scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election would flip in a deal with prosecutors. Loraine Pellegrino, the former president of the Arizona Federation of Republican Women, agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for reduced charges in the case, …

Arizona attorney general: First 'fake elector' agreed to flip in MAGA election plot case
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Arizona attorney general: First 'fake elector' agreed to flip in MAGA election plot case

Raw Story  

One of the "fake electors" indicted in Arizona for the plot to overturn the election results in that state has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, state Attorney General Kris Mayes said Friday. Eleven people in Arizona falsely signed paperwork claiming to be electors on behalf of former President Donald Trump following President Joe Biden's narrow win in 2020. The Georgia …

Election-denying MAGA lawmaker compares GOP's poll watchers to SEAL Team 6
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Election-denying MAGA lawmaker compares GOP's poll watchers to SEAL Team 6

Raw Story  

Rep. Eli Crane compared the Republican Party's planned army of poll watchers for the November election to SEAL Team 6 snipers, according to Rolling Stone. Crane, himself a former Navy SEAL and winning "Shark Tank" contestant, declared that poll watchers would be “boots on the ground” to counteract a “desperate” opposition which will “do whatever it takes to hold on …

Election certification disputes in handful of states spark concerns over 2024 presidential contest
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Election certification disputes in handful of states spark concerns over 2024 presidential contest

LA Times  

In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, two Republican members of a county canvassing board last month refused to sign off on the results of an election that led to the recall of three GOP members of the county commission. In Georgia’s Fulton County, which includes the Democratic-leaning city of Atlanta, a group run by members of former President Trump’s administration last month …

Arizona Republicans charged in 'fake electors' case can't afford lawyers: reports
7 months ago

Arizona Republicans charged in 'fake electors' case can't afford lawyers: reports

Raw Story  

Several Republicans charged in the Arizona fake electors case are unable to afford legal counsel, according to a new report. According to KPNX's Brahm Resnik, one of those fake electors is Greg Safsten, the former executive director of the Arizona Republican Party, who told the judge presiding over his case he was indigent and was given a public defender. Among …

Arizona expects to be back at the center of election attacks. Its top officials are going on offense
9 months ago

Arizona expects to be back at the center of election attacks. Its top officials are going on offense

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The security measures are a …

Election chief in key state of Arizona vows to 'prebunk' lies
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Election chief in key state of Arizona vows to 'prebunk' lies

Raw Story  

Three days a week, Adrian Fontes lifts weights at 4:00 am to decompress from running elections in one of America's crucial battleground states. Fontes, a Marine Corps veteran and Arizona native, said one of his "favorite" falsehoods stems from a Republican-led audit in 2021, during which someone floated the possibility that fraudulent ballots flown to the state from southeast Asia …

Judge says No Labels can block candidates from running for offices other than president in Arizona
11 months, 1 week ago

Judge says No Labels can block candidates from running for offices other than president in Arizona

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — No Labels, the group preparing for a possible third-party presidential campaign, can prohibit members from using its ballot line to run for office in Arizona, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. The decision protects the group’s efforts to maintain control and secrecy around its operations and finances as Donald Trump critics warn that No Labels could help return Trump …

No Labels sues Arizona to block opponents from using the new political party to run for office
1 year, 2 months ago

No Labels sues Arizona to block opponents from using the new political party to run for office

Associated Press  

Follow live: Updates from AP’s coverage of the presidential election. PHOENIX — The No Labels party on Thursday filed a lawsuit in Arizona seeking to block its ballot line from being used by Democrats who oppose the group’s efforts to launch a third-party ticket for president next year. Biden supporters say they’re worried No Labels could prove a spoiler given …

Elections director of Arizona county quits, says she wasn’t protected from political attacks
1 year, 5 months ago

Elections director of Arizona county quits, says she wasn’t protected from political attacks

Associated Press  

FLORENCE, Ariz. — The elections director of Arizona’s Pinal County has resigned after less than a year in the job, saying county supervisors had tried to politicize elections in the jurisdiction east of Phoenix. Pinal County confirmed Geraldine Roll’s resignation in a brief note posted online Tuesday, with County Manager Leo Lew thanking Roll for her service “during very challenging …

Recall effort against Arizona election denier fails
1 year, 7 months ago

Recall effort against Arizona election denier fails

Associated Press  

Organizers of an effort to remove a rural Arizona county supervisor for skepticism over the results of last year’s election announced that they have fallen short of the legal requirement to proceed with a recall effort that would have given voters the option of removing him from office. The campaign to recall Tom Crosby in rural Cochise County said Wednesday …

Arizona county’s new elections head shared voter fraud memes
1 year, 7 months ago

Arizona county’s new elections head shared voter fraud memes

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — A rural Arizona county where leaders have embraced voting machine conspiracies on Tuesday hired an elections director who has promoted the false claims that voter fraud cost former President Donald Trump reelection in 2020. The two Republicans on the three-member Cochise County Board of Supervisors voted to hire Bob Bartelsmeyer, who shared memes on his personal Facebook page …

Finchem sanctioned over ‘baseless’ Arizona election suit
1 year, 9 months ago

Finchem sanctioned over ‘baseless’ Arizona election suit

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — An Arizona judge has sanctioned former Republican secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem and his attorney over a lawsuit challenging his loss in last year’s election, saying the suit “was groundless and not brought in good faith.” Finchem’s suit raised unsupported claims that his loss was marred by misconduct and demanded the results be set aside and the …

Arizona county board votes to give recorder election duties
1 year, 9 months ago

Arizona county board votes to give recorder election duties

Associated Press  

BISBEE, Ariz. — A rural Arizona county board that was embroiled last year in voting machine conspiracies voted Tuesday to give responsibility for elections through 2024 to the county’s elected Republican recorder, a move the state attorney general’s office suggested may be illegal. The two Republicans on the three-member Cochise County Board of Supervisors backed the agreement giving administrative election …

GOP election deniers are gaining control of Republican operations
1 year, 10 months ago

GOP election deniers are gaining control of Republican operations

Raw Story  

Republicans who ran on election conspiracy theories lost a number of critical races around the country last year — in particular several who were running to be secretaries of state, administering state election systems themselves. And in July, Idaho Republicans chose Dorothy Moon, a former state legislator who has said there was a 'big problem' with the 2020 vote and …

Former Arizona AG sat on records refuting 2020 election fraud
1 year, 10 months ago

Former Arizona AG sat on records refuting 2020 election fraud

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Arizona’s former attorney general suppressed findings by his investigators who concluded there was no basis for allegations that the 2020 election was marred by widespread fraud, according to documents released Wednesday by his successor. Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes, who took office last month, said the records show the 2020 election “was conducted fairly and accurately by election …

“Hyper-partisan attack”: Arizona GOP advances new voting bills inspired by conspiracy theories
1 year, 10 months ago

“Hyper-partisan attack”: Arizona GOP advances new voting bills inspired by conspiracy theories

Salon  

Arizona's Republican-controlled state legislature advanced bills last month that they claim will improve election transparency — but voting rights advocates worry will actually have the opposite effect. "There's a lack of confidence from some of my constituents in the election itself," Republican state Rep. Rachel Jones of Tucson, who presented the bill, said during the committee meeting. "These are the …

Arizona certifies 2022 election despite GOP complaints
2 years ago

Arizona certifies 2022 election despite GOP complaints

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Arizona’s top officials certified the midterm election results Monday, formalizing victories for Democrats over Republicans who falsely claimed the 2020 election was rigged. “Arizona had a successful election,” Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who beat Lake in the race for governor, said before signing the certification. The race for attorney general was one of the closest …

Arizona county certifies election after judge’s order
2 years ago

Arizona county certifies election after judge’s order

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — A rural Arizona county certified its midterm election results on Thursday, following the orders of a judge who ruled that Republican supervisors broke the law when they refused to sign off on the vote count by this week’s deadline. Two Republicans on Cochise County’s three-member board of supervisors balked for weeks about certifying the election, even as the …

In Arizona, losing candidate points to perceived conflict
2 years ago

In Arizona, losing candidate points to perceived conflict

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Republican Kari Lake and supporters of her failed campaign for Arizona governor are attacking Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs as having a conflict of interest for overseeing the election she won. Hobbs’ spokeswoman, Sophia Solis, emphasized that the secretary of state does not handle ballots or play a direct role in vote tabulation, and said that neither …

GOP-controlled Arizona county refuses to certify election
2 years ago

GOP-controlled Arizona county refuses to certify election

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Republican officials in a rural Arizona county refused Monday to certify the 2022 election despite no evidence of anything wrong with the count, a decision that was quickly challenged in court by the state’s top election official. Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who narrowly won the race for governor, asked a judge to order county officials …

Election deniers performed especially poorly in races to oversee voting in key states
2 years, 1 month ago

Election deniers performed especially poorly in races to oversee voting in key states

NPR  

Election deniers performed especially poorly in races to oversee voting in key states Enlarge this image toggle caption John Locher/AP John Locher/AP Over nearly two years, the political future of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger had looked somewhere between uncertain and untenable. "Voters sent a pretty loud message about election denialism," said Trey Grayson, who served two terms as …

Mark Kelly pulls off victory in Arizona Senate race as Democrats inch to majority
2 years, 1 month ago

Mark Kelly pulls off victory in Arizona Senate race as Democrats inch to majority

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Kelly’s victory comes after Democratic Senator Maggie …

Democrat wins Arizona elections post over GOP conspiracist
2 years, 1 month ago

Democrat wins Arizona elections post over GOP conspiracist

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Democrat Adrian Fontes won the top elections post in Arizona on Friday, defeating a Republican rival who attended the Jan. 6 rally that preceded the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol and who said he would not have certified Joe Biden’s win in the state. Fontes, who formerly oversaw parts of the election system in Arizona’s most populous …

Post-election misinformation targets Arizona, Pennsylvania
2 years, 1 month ago

Post-election misinformation targets Arizona, Pennsylvania

Associated Press  

The video on Fox News showed a Wisconsin poll worker initialing ballots before they were given to voters. “Spread to normies.” It’s an example of Election Day misinformation that reveals how misleading claims emerge and travel, and how innocent events can be spun into the latest viral election hoax. Maricopa County remained the epicenter of election misinformation Wednesday after problems …

Voting snag in Arizona fuels election conspiracy theories
2 years, 1 month ago

Voting snag in Arizona fuels election conspiracy theories

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — A printing malfunction at about one-quarter of the polling places across Arizona’s most populous county slowed down voting Tuesday, but election officials assured voters that every ballot would be counted. After polls closed, the county supervisor, Republican Bill Gates, apologized, but said “every voter had the opportunity to vote and have their vote counted.” The issue affected an …

Republicans Cry Conspiracy Over Ballot Printing Error In Arizona
2 years, 1 month ago

Republicans Cry Conspiracy Over Ballot Printing Error In Arizona

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Early Tuesday morning, Charlie Kirk, the influential right-wing activist with close ties to the Trump family, shared a video of a poll worker in conservative Anthem, Arizona, announcing to a line of waiting voters that one of the polling place’s two tabulators was broken. “It could be a printer issue, or it could be the tabulator itself,” …

The most worrisome election this cycle is Arizona’s secretary of state race.
2 years, 1 month ago

The most worrisome election this cycle is Arizona’s secretary of state race.

Slate  

Less than one week before Election Day, former President Barack Obama—not generally considered one to spread sky-is-falling resistance grift—nonetheless issued a dire warning while campaigning in Arizona. He was also one of the leading figures to endorse last year’s misbegotten Arizona election audit that attempted to discredit the results of the 2020 race. National Republican figures like Liz Cheney and …

Arizona election officials battle conspiracy theories as voters head to the polls
2 years, 1 month ago

Arizona election officials battle conspiracy theories as voters head to the polls

LA Times  

Two years after former President Trump attempted to overturn his loss to Joe Biden, the electoral process remains in the shadow of the 2020 election, plagued by threats to election workers, efforts to misinform or intimidate voters and the rise of far-right candidates who have echoed false claims of election fraud. “The widespread issues — in an election administered by …

"Perfect storm": Arizona could prove pivotal in attempts to subvert the next presidential election
2 years, 1 month ago

"Perfect storm": Arizona could prove pivotal in attempts to subvert the next presidential election

Salon  

Kari Lake, the former television news anchor running for Arizona governor, has made casting doubt on the results of the 2020 election a recurring campaign theme. "That would be a perfect storm if these three election deniers are elected and have control over the election apparatus, and have considerable persuasive power over the Legislature," she said. Barton said Lake, Finchem …

The gubernatorial races to watch in the US midterm elections
2 years, 1 month ago

The gubernatorial races to watch in the US midterm elections

Al Jazeera  

Amid unfounded election claims and repeal of Roe v Wade, US governors take centre stage on key issues in US midterms. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs, currently Arizona’s secretary of state, oversaw the 2020 election administration in the state and was a key defender of the process’s integrity. Wisconsin Tony Evers v Tim Michels Wisconsin’s Democratic Governor Tony Evers is …

Column: Is Arizona paving ‘the road to authoritarianism’ with its slate of GOP election deniers?
2 years, 1 month ago

Column: Is Arizona paving ‘the road to authoritarianism’ with its slate of GOP election deniers?

LA Times  

Arizona Republican candidates, from left: Mark Finchem for secretary of state; Kari Lake for governor; Abraham Hamadeh for attorney general; and Blake Masters for U.S. Senate. “I just think that’s the road to authoritarianism,” Arechiga went on, “People saying, ‘We’re going to do it our way and everyone else gets pushed aside that doesn’t agree with us.’ That’s the fear …

Election deniers could make deep changes to Arizona voting
2 years, 2 months ago

Election deniers could make deep changes to Arizona voting

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Gathered at a table in the Capitol in Phoenix a little less than two years ago, two Republicans and a Democrat took part in a ceremony prescribed by state law that made official Joe Biden’s 10,500-vote victory in Arizona’s 2020 presidential contest. Hamadeh said in a statement that he would “faithfully follow the law.” The governor, secretary of …

Election deniers could make radical changes to Arizona voting
2 years, 2 months ago

Election deniers could make radical changes to Arizona voting

LA Times  

Gathered at a table in the state Capitol a little less than two years ago, two Republicans and a Democrat took part in a ceremony prescribed by state law that made official Joe Biden’s 10,500-vote victory in Arizona’s 2020 presidential contest. Hamadeh said in a statement that he would “faithfully follow the law.” The governor, secretary of state and attorney …

These two elections deniers have a good chance of winning jobs overseeing elections
2 years, 2 months ago

These two elections deniers have a good chance of winning jobs overseeing elections

CNN  

CNN — New polling conducted by CNN shows election deniers in Arizona and Nevada running strong in their bids to be the top election officials in their respective states, a concerning development as the country begins to prepare for the next presidential election. In Arizona, Republican Mark Finchem takes 49% among likely voters to 45% for Democrat Adrian Fontes in …

Arizona GOP secretary of state nominee stands by election conspiracy theories in debate
2 years, 3 months ago

Arizona GOP secretary of state nominee stands by election conspiracy theories in debate

CNN  

CNN — Arizona Republican secretary of state nominee Mark Finchem doubled down on the conspiracy theories that he has espoused about the 2020 presidential election in a debate against Democrat Adrian Fontes Thursday night, asserting that the votes in several key Arizona counties should have been “set aside” even though there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the …

Arizona GOP candidates appeal ruling against hand counts
2 years, 3 months ago

Arizona GOP candidates appeal ruling against hand counts

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — The Republican candidates for Arizona governor and secretary of state on Wednesday appealed a federal judge’s ruling that threw out a lawsuit they filed seeking to require the hand-counting of ballots in November’s election. Named in the lawsuit is Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, the state’s top election official and the Democratic candidate for governor, and the majority …

Democrats feel pressure to 'save the republic' in campaigns to run state election systems
2 years, 3 months ago

Democrats feel pressure to 'save the republic' in campaigns to run state election systems

Raw Story  

Adrian Fontes is tired of responding to the outrageous claims of Mark Finchem, a Trump-backed Republican election denier with ties to QAnon. As Fontes put it, “It’s a great deal of pressure knowing you’re running in a political contest to save the republic.” The stakes are just as high in Nevada, where Democrat Cisco Aguilar is looking to defeat Jim …

Support of false election claims runs deep in 2022 GOP field
2 years, 3 months ago

Support of false election claims runs deep in 2022 GOP field

Associated Press  

Nearly 1 in 3 Republican candidates for statewide offices that play a role in overseeing, certifying or defending elections supported overturning the results of the 2020 presidential race, according to an Associated Press review. In Michigan, the Republican candidates for governor, secretary of state and attorney general have all repeated Trump’s election lies. “If even one or two of these …

How election-denying GOP governors could tilt the 2024 presidential election
2 years, 3 months ago

How election-denying GOP governors could tilt the 2024 presidential election

Raw Story  

Republican candidates who claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump have been nominated for governor in four critical swing states, raising concerns that if elected they could try to sway election results in 2024 and beyond. The current proposal, introduced by a bipartisan group of senators, requires that at least six days before the Electoral College meets, …

How election-denying GOP governors could tilt the 2024 presidential election
2 years, 3 months ago

How election-denying GOP governors could tilt the 2024 presidential election

Raw Story  

Republican candidates who claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump have been nominated for governor in four critical swing states, raising concerns that if elected they could try to sway election results in 2024 and beyond. The current proposal, introduced by a bipartisan group of senators, requires that at least six days before the Electoral College meets, …

Democrat Adrian Fontes wins Arizona secretary of state race
2 years, 4 months ago

Democrat Adrian Fontes wins Arizona secretary of state race

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes has won the Democratic nomination for Arizona secretary of state and the right to take on a supporter of former President Donald Trump who believes the false narrative that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Additional returns released Thursday night showed Fontes was so far ahead of House Minority Leader Reginald …

Arizona county axes elections boss after ballot problems
2 years, 4 months ago

Arizona county axes elections boss after ballot problems

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — Officials in an Arizona county that was plagued with issues during Tuesday’s primaries have fired their elections director and said he is no longer employed. Pinal County officials had promised swift changes during a Wednesday news conference where they did not assign blame directly on Elections Director David Frist, who was just hired in March. In a Thursday …

Election skeptics rise in GOP races to run state elections
2 years, 4 months ago

Election skeptics rise in GOP races to run state elections

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — The Trump-endorsed state lawmaker who won the GOP nomination for Arizona secretary of state is the latest candidate to advance to the November ballot for a post overseeing state elections while denying the results of the last one. He has embraced former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and has promised to upend …

Trump-loving election deniers are campaigning to control voting in four critical states
2 years, 4 months ago

Trump-loving election deniers are campaigning to control voting in four critical states

Raw Story  

Mark Finchem, an Arizona state representative who has said he would not have certified the 2020 election, won the Republican primary for secretary of state on Tuesday, making him the latest election denier to move closer to controlling his state’s election system. Across the country, Republicans who say the 2020 election was rigged are vying to be elected secretary of …

Arizona's Mark Finchem is the latest in a wave of election deniers moving toward controlling elections
2 years, 4 months ago

Arizona's Mark Finchem is the latest in a wave of election deniers moving toward controlling elections

Raw Story  

Mark Finchem, an Arizona state representative who has said he would not have certified the 2020 election, has won the Republican primary for secretary of state, making him the latest election denier to move closer to controlling his state’s election system. He’s told voters not to put mail mallets in “Zuckerboxes,” claiming they are part of the “Democrat fraud machine.” …

Arizona GOP primary tests power of Trump's election lies
2 years, 4 months ago

Arizona GOP primary tests power of Trump's election lies

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The …

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