Members of the Arizona state legislature formally called for an audit of Maricopa County’s election equipment and software on Friday.
Senate President Karen Fann, as well as Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers, formally made the call on Friday for “an independent audit of the Dominion software and equipment used by Maricopa County in the 2020 General Election.”
“The two leaders, along with incoming Senate Government Chair Michelle Ugenti-Rita and House Majority Leader Warren Petersen, had numerous phone calls with members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors,” the press release stated.
“As a longtime advocate for improving and modernizing our election system, I am pleased to learn that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is supportive of conducting an independent audit of their voting software and equipment,” Sen. Ugenti-Rita said in a statement, adding that it is “important we maintain all of the voting public’s confidence in our elections and this is a positive first step in the right direction.”
Peterson added that a “significant number of voters believe that fraud occurred and with the number of irregularities it is easy to understand why.”
“Especially concerning are the allegations made surrounding the vendor Dominion. It is imperative that the County immediately do a forensic audit on the Dominion software and equipment to make sure the results were accurate,” he added.
President Trump expressed gratitude for their request in a Friday evening tweet.
“Thank you to Senate President Karen Fann and House Speaker Russell Bowers – and all, for what you are doing in Arizona. A fast check of signatures will easily give us the state. Votes against have been reduced to a very small number!” he exclaimed.
State leaders certified the election results this week, with Joe Biden leading Trump by 10,457 votes in the Grand Canyon State.
Speaker Bowers released another statement on Friday regarding the calls for the legislature to overturn the state’s certification, contending that the Trump campaign has “presented only theories, not proof” of voter fraud in the state.
“Even if such evidence existed, the Arizona Legislature simply couldn’t do what is being asked,” he said in a statement.
“Under our state’s constitution, the Legislature can act only when it is in session, and the Legislature could call itself into a special session only with the support of a bipartisan supermajority of its members,” he continued:
No election is perfect, and if there were evidence of illegal votes or an improper count, then Arizona law provides a process to contest the election: a lawsuit under state law. But the law does not authorize the Legislature to reverse the results of an election.
As a conservative Republican, I don’t like the results of the presidential election. I voted for President Trump and worked hard to reelect him. But I cannot and will not entertain a suggestion that we violate current law to change the outcome of a certified election.
Arizona lawmakers, alongside members of Trump’s legal team, heard testimony this week alleging potential fraud, error, intimidation, and irregularities.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kelli Ward, the chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party, is expected to take her election integrity lawsuit, which a Maricopa County Superior Court judge tossed Friday, to the Supreme Court: