Arizona election workers are concerned over Maricopa County vote count

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - The Arizona Secretary of State, Katie Hobbs, and former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods held a media briefing to once again warn of the dangers they see coming from the GOP recount of 2020 votes in Maricopa County.

The Republican Party is recounting the 2.1 million votes that were cast in Maricopa County during the last election that President Joe Biden won.

“They lost and they can’t get over it, they don’t want to get over it,” Woods said. “Because they want to continue to sow doubt about the election, not just in Arizona but across the United States.”

The Republican Party, led by Senate President Karen Fann, has leased the Phoenix Memorial Stadium to host the recount, or audit as they call it.

That lease runs out on May 14 when the coliseum is booked for other events.

Fann, and count spokesperson Ken Bennett, said they will store the ballots and continue counting at a later date.

That has led to charges that the process is not secure which has caught the attention of the Justice Department which sent a letter to Fann warning there may be civil rights and voting rights violations.

But following a conference Thursday, May 6, 2021, Hobbs said the concern is that the process is spreading.

“Every day that this exercise continues, I grow more concerned about what is happening,” Hobbs said. “As well as the concern of my colleagues, other Secretaries of State, who are starting to hear calls for similar audits or reviews to be conducted in their states.”

And that’s the warning also issued by the former attorney general.

“If they can come up with anything, as preposterous as it might be, then they will point to Arizona and they’ll say see what we found in Arizona,” Woods said. “That’s why we need to do this in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and Michigan and Georgia.”

Hobbs hosted a press briefing this afternoon which included three experts in voting audits who agreed what is happening in Phoenix does not follow legal and accepted protocols.

Hobbs alluded to the letter but would not say whether the Justice Department may intervene. She lacks the legal ability to shut it down.

“What we hope to today is shine more of a light on it, continue to shine a light on it,” said Woods. “The press has been shut out by these people for the most part and it’s not right.”

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