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‘Where’s Celia?’: Arizona elections official becomes the target of a GOP virtual manhunt
They started searching for her in late January. “Where’s CELIA NABOR?” one member of the angry online mob wrote. “Find her,” another wrote. Track her phone, credit cards, social security number, and social media, others suggested. It was time for her to “face the music.” “COULD SHE BE AT HOME????” someone wrote, posting her address. […]
‘I just hope it ends’: Maricopa official shares emotional story as harasser sentenced to prison
Maricopa County Supervisors Chairman Clint Hickman held it together in a federal courtroom in Phoenix on Monday until it was about his family. Hickman told a judge that he remembers the night in 2020 that dozens of protesters — propelled by lies about the fairness of the county’s presidential election — came to his home […]
Arizona pilot for secure ballot paper won’t move forward as planned
Cochise County will only be able to work with one company to test security features on ballots in Arizona as part of a state pilot this year — and it’s not the company with political connections that pushed for the work. Cochise County supervisors on Tuesday voted 1-2 against extending the time period for a […]
Rulebook for Arizona’s 2024 elections faces criticism from multiple sides
As Secretary of State Adrian Fontes makes rules for how next year’s elections must be run in Arizona, Republican legislative leaders say he’s overstepping his authority. Voting rights advocates say he isn’t exerting enough authority. The groups publicized their qualms this week with Fontes’ new draft of the state’s Elections Procedures Manual — the giant […]
Secure ballots or boondoggle? Arizona county tailors project to politically connected firm
As an Arizona county prepares to spend up to $1 million in state money to test anti-counterfeit features on ballots, it appears the project was tailored for one company in particular that has pushed the idea with the help of political allies in the state for more than two years. The idea of adding unique […]
Maricopa County says it had no way to know its ballot printers would fail.
Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for our free newsletters here. One big question Maricopa County voters had after many had trouble casting ballots at polling places in November’s election was whether county leaders should have seen the problem coming. The county continues […]
Amid push for hand-counting ballots, Republican senators emphasize legality, not practicality
Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for our free newsletters here. As they tour the state to try to convince county decision-makers to hand-count ballots in the upcoming presidential election, Republican lawmakers in Arizona are emphasizing one point: They believe it’s legal here. […]
As pressure mounts to fix Pinal County’s problems, elections director resigns
Pinal County’s elections director abruptly resigned this week after facing harsh criticism from the county GOP. Her scathing resignation letter led many to compare her departure to those of other elections directors across the country who are facing harassment and resigning in droves as GOP leaders and residents confront them with false accusations about elections. […]
Arizona elections would have fewer rules under Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’ new manual
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is stripping down the giant rulebook that tells county officials how they must run elections in accordance with state law, a review of a partial draft shows. While his draft is still unfinished, Fontes told Votebeat he wants the Elections Procedures Manual to include only the rules he believes […]
‘It was a nightmare’: Pinal County builds new elections space
Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for our free newsletters here. Coolidge, Arizona — “You can’t even imagine,” Geraldine Roll said, standing in the room where the mistakes were made. “You really, really can’t.” Picture a dozen people, she said, weaving around one […]
No rules for Maricopa as it replaces faulty ballot printers, spends $8 million
Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization reporting on voting access and election administration across the U.S. Sign up for our free newsletters here. After relying on retail-grade printers to print hundreds of thousands of ballots on the spot and then experiencing a countywide Election Day breakdown, Maricopa County is planning on spending millions to buy […]
As Mohave County pursues a plan to hand-count all 2024 ballots, Secretary of State steps in
A day after supervisors in a northwestern Arizona county voted to request a plan to hand-count ballots in the 2024 presidential election, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes sent a letter to Mohave County supervisors on Tuesday telling them he is concerned that moving forward would break state and federal laws, potentially be insecure, and […]