Judge has doubts on voter privacy in Arizona recount

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Judge has doubts on voter privacy in Arizona recount

By BOB CHRISTIE
April 27, 2021

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge hearing a challenge to voter privacy policies during the Republican-controlled Arizona Senate’s recount of 2.1 million 2020 election ballots in the county that includes metro Phoenix said Tuesday he is not convinced voter secrecy is being upheld.

The comment from Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Martin came at the end of a lengthy hearing where he also declined to extend a previous judge’s order that auditors hired by the Senate comply with state voter privacy laws -- at least until he hears more at a hearing on Wednesday.

“I will share with you all, I am not yet persuaded that there has been a showing that the rights of the voters in Maricopa County are being protected,” Martin said. “And I think we will touch on this tomorrow when we address the policies and procedures and whether or not they can be withheld from public view.”

The Arizona Democratic Party and the lone Democrat on the GOP-controlled Maricopa County Board of Supervisors sued the state Senate and the contractor overseeing the election audit, Cyber Ninjas, Thursday. They want the recount of the 2020 presidential election won by President Joe Biden halted unless they were given guarantees that voter privacy and ballot secrecy would be ensured.

A judge who has since stepped aside from the contentious case on Friday ordered the recount halted if Democrats posted a $1 million bond, which the party declined to do. He also ordered the Senate and private election auditors to follow state law on voter and ballot secrecy and for Cyber Ninjas to produce its recount policies and procedures in court.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/election-recounts-voting-rights-election-2020-business-government-and-politics-8a0f2a438dc0ecf12eeb695e2049f124

[PortTack]

1. If this is allowed to continue, watch for a voter purge of those that voted Democrat

[mopinko]

7. yeah, finding ineligible voters is as good as finding a bad count.

better. for them.

[WHITT]

2. No Shit Sherlock

I will share with you all, I am not yet persuaded that there has been a showing that the rights of the voters in Maricopa County are being protected

It doesn't matter what the "result" of their "audit" is, it's already disqualifying given they have a bunch of yahoos with BLUE PENS handling the ballots.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. Make the GOP pay the $1 Million Dollar ransom. They're the ones causing the whole issue of

privacy, etc. to happen w/ their sloppy practices (I am assuming)...

[Lovie777]

4. The farce count methods should be opened as well as . ..

and neural observers should be there. That is the bottom line. Privacy to republicans only pertains to their cowardly selves. This party needs to cease to be valid.

[gratuitous]

5. News flash, your honor

If voter privacy has not been protected to this point, it's totally gone now. These folks are not operating in good faith or anything close to it. If they can match a ballot to a voter, the secret ballot is a dead letter in Arizona, and you were a doula for its death. Congratufuckinglations.

[alittlelark]

6. They are harvesting info on those votes in the recount.

They will likely sell the info, and will certainly do all they can to purge the democratic voters before the next election.

[ancianita]

8. Isn't there probable cause for a warrant to seize all ninja records of public voting materials?

How is the AZ Republican Party acting in good faith to bring in these QAnon actors.
Not to mention how AZ's Neo-Fascist state government is rolling over for this.

No public good can come from the data stealing that can be done while they "count." A new enemies list will emerge from this to target Democrats and drive them from AZ. Doing this in every blue and battleground state is the point. To Republicans this really has fuck all to do with democracy.

[Kid Berwyn]

9. The bastards want to "target" voters.

Especially the voters who don’t vote like bastards.