Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX The Arizona Democratic Party is going to court to halt or at least delay the audit of Maricopa County election results.
Legal papers filed late Thursday note that the Senate, which demanded possession of the 2.1 million ballots and counting equipment, has now had all that turned over directly to outsiders hired by the legislature. They are planning to conduct the review starting Friday at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The problem said attorney Roopali Desai, is there is no evidence that the private firms hired by the Senate and the people they are retaining have been properly trained, not just in things like signature verification but also in protecting the security and privacy of the records.
An Arizona judge temporarily halts a G.O.P. effort to recount 2020 ballots.
Protesters gathered in Phoenix in December as Arizona electors cast their votes for the presidential election. Credit.Cheney Orr/Reuters
April 23, 2021
A Maricopa County judge on Friday temporarily halted a Republican-led effort in Arizona to recount ballots from the 2020 presidential election, after Democrats filed a lawsuit arguing that the audit violated state election security laws.
But the judge, Christopher Coury of Maricopa County Superior Court, said the pause would go into effect only if the state Democratic Party posted a $1 million bond to compensate a private company Cyber Ninjas, a cybersecurity firm based in Florida that Republicans have hired to review the ballots.
– – – ORIGINAL REPORTING – – –
It’s just being reported that a judge in Maricopa County has temporarily halted the forensic audit of the 2020 election until Monday:
JUST IN – Maricopa judge orders a temporary halt to the Arizona forensic election audit until Monday, due to a last-minute lawsuit by the Arizona Democratic Party and County Supervisor citing security issues.
Here’s more:
DC EXAMINER – Arizona Democrats scored a victory as a judge ordered a temporary pause of a GOP-led state Senate audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County, Arizona, that was to begin on Friday.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Coury ruled that the review of voting machines and 2.1 million ballots, which has the backing of former President Donald Trump, should be put on hold at 5 p.m. local time until Monday at noon, allowing the Republicans to have time to appeal.