AZ Election âAuditorsâ Backtrack on False Claims That Election Data Was Deleted Former Arizona State Rep. Anthony Kern recounts ballots from the 2020 general election as a contractor working for Cyber Ninjas, a company hired by the Arizona State Senate, at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on May 1, 2021, in Phoenix, Arizona. Courtney Pedroza / Getty Images Firms hired to conduct an audit of votes from the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County, Arizona, ostensibly to verify the integrity of the election, have walked back claims they made last week that county officials had deleted electronic files related to the vote totals. These allegations prompted many on the right, including former President Donald Trump, to wrongly state that it was proof of election fraud.