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While there hasn t been much transparency from the contractors attempting to audit Maricopa County s general election results, they are shining a light on the ballots. But why?
There are theories such as the workers are searching for watermarks, yellow dots, fold marks, and certain fibers but no clear answers.
Workers hired by the Arizona Senate s main contractor, Cyber Ninjas, are shining what appears to be an ultraviolet flashlight on each ballot. This observation is based on views from the audit livestream at azaudit.org and journalists who now have access inside the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where the audit is happening.
Media to get day in court over Senate election audit
Cyber Ninjas owner Doug Logan, left, a Florida-based consultancy, talks about overseeing a 2020 election ballot audit ordered by the Republican lead Arizona Senate at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, as a Cyber Ninjas IT technician demonstrates a ballot scan during a news conference Thursday, April 22, 2021, in Phoenix. The equipment used in the November election won by President Joe Biden and the 2.1 million ballots were moved to the site Thursday so Republicans in the state Senate who have expressed uncertainty that Biden’s victory was legitimate can recount them and audit the results. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
April 28, 2021 4:07 p.m.
A judge is letting the questionable audit of Arizona’s 2020 election continue while he hears a legal challenge brought by Democrats to its procedures. Judge Daniel Martin of Maricopa County’s superior court denied on Wednesday the request by the state Democratic Party that he impose a temporary restraining order halting the audit.
But the judge also ordered that the auditors file in court by noon local time Thursday absent intervention from a higher court their documents outlining plans and procedures for the audit.
Democrats last Thursday sued the Arizona Senate leaders who have ordered the audit, as well as Cyber Ninjas, the company the Senate hired to coordinate the review. Democrats, who are now being backed by Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) in the case, allege that the auditors are failing to follow Arizona policy and law regarding ballot security.
Judge Rejects Democrats’ Bid to Immediately Halt Arizona 2020 Election Audit
An Arizona judge on April 28 rejected an attempt by the Arizona Democratic Party to immediately halt an audit of the 2020 election in the state’s largest county.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Martin said Democrats didn’t provide “substantive evidence of any breaches or threatened breaches of voter privacy.”
The lawsuit, filed just before the audit started last week, may ultimately succeed, the judge added. But it fell short of the “strong likelihood” of succeeding standard required for a temporary restraining order.
Martin also expressed doubt that the balance of hardship in the case or public policy favors the plaintiffs two factors that are needed to grant the order.