PHOENIX — Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes has rescinded an informal opinion issued by her Republican predecessor that said counties could hand-count all ballots in an election, a process that Republicans in Cochise County attempted last year based on unfounded concerns that machine ballot tabulators are not secure or accurate.
Mayes late Friday issued a formal opinion in its place saying existing election laws bar counties from implementing full hand counts of ballots cast both on Election Day and those cast early by mail.
kAm%96 ?6H @A:?:@? EC24<D 2 ;F586VD CF=:?8 E92E 3=@4<65 r@49:D6 r@F?EJ @77:4:2=D 7C@> 5@:?8 E96 7F== 92?5\4@F?E E96 #6AF3=:42?\5@>:?2E65 3@2C5 @C56C65 E@ 36 5@?6 7@==@H:?8 =2DE }@G6>36CVD 6=64E:@?] yF586D =@@< E@ @A:?:@?D 7C@> E96 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2= 7@C :>A@CE2?E 8F:52?46 @? :?E6CAC6E:?8 DE2E6 =2HD[ E9@F89 E96J 2C6 ?@E =682==J 3:?5:?8]k^Am
kAmx? E96 H66<D 367@C6 E96 }@G] f 6=64E:@?[ E96 EH@ #6AF3=:42? >6>36CD @7 E96 r@49:D6 r@F?EJ q@2C5 @7 $FA6CG:D@CD A@:?E65 E@ BF6DE:@?D C2:D65 3J 7@C>6C !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 2?5 9:D DFAA@CE6CD 23@FE E96 244FC24J 2?5 D64FC:EJ @7 E96 6=64EC@?:4 G@E6\E23F=2E:?8 >249:?6D E@ ;FDE:7J E96:C 564:D:@?] %96J 5:5 D@ 56DA:E6 E96 =24< @7 2?J 6G:56?46 E92E E96 >249:?6D 2C6 ?@E 244FC2E6 @C GF=?6C23=6 E@ 924<:?8]k^Am
kAmu@C>6C pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= |2C< qC?@G:49[ 2 #6AF3=:42?[ 324<65 E96> FA H96? 96 925 9:D 56AFEJ D@=:4:E@C 86?6C2= :DDF6 2? :?7@C>2= @A:?:@? 2 =:EE=6 @G6C 2 H66< 367@C6 E96 6=64E:@? 4@?4=F5:?8 E92E E96:C A=2? A2DD65 =682= >FDE6C] &?=:<6 7@C>2= @A:?:@?D[ E9@F89[ qC?@G:49 5:5 ?@E D:8? E96 5@4F>6?E]k^Am
kAmp C6E:C66 8C@FA DF65 r@49:D6 r@F?EJ[ 2?5 !:>2 r@F?EJ $FA6C:@C r@FCE yF586 r2D6J |4v:?=6J CF=65 2 52J 367@C6 E96 6=64E:@? E92E 7F== 92?5 4@F?ED H6C6 32CC65 3J =2H]k^Am
kAmw6 A@:?E65 E@ 56E2:=65 :?DECF4E:@?D =2:5 @FE 3J E96 {68:D=2EFC6 @? 9@H 92?5 4@F?ED @7 2 D2>A=:?8 @7 3@E9 t=64E:@? s2J 2?5 62C=J 32==@ED 2C6 E@ 36 4@?5F4E65 2?5 E96 CF=6D @? 6IA2?5:?8 E9@D6 2F5:ED :7 E96 ?F>36CD 5@?VE >2E49] t2C=J 32==@E 92?5 4@F?ED 2C6 DEC:4E=J =:>:E65 F?=6DD E96 C6DF=ED 5@?VE >2E49[ 96 HC@E6[ H9:=6 DE2CE:?8 H:E9 2 7F== 92?5 4@F?E @7 t=64E:@? s2J 32==@ED 8@6D 282:?DE CF=6D C6BF:C:?8 32==@ED E@ 36 49@D6 2E C2?5@>]k^Am
kAms@:?8 2 7F== 92?5 4@F?E H@F=5 C6?56C A2CED @7 E96 =2H @? 9@H E@ AC@4665 :? 42D6 E96 >249:?6 4@F?E 5@6D?VE >2E49 H@F=5 C6?56C E96 6IA2?D:@? AC@G:D:@?D FD6=6DD[ E96 ;F586 4@?4=F565] %96 4@F?EJ 3@2C5 :D DE:== 2AA62=:?8 E92E CF=:?8]k^Am
kAmx? E96 >:55=6 @7 2== E92E[ |2J6D 92D ?@H H6:8965 :?]k^Am
kAmx? 96C D:8?65 @A:?:@?[ |2J6D HC@E6 E92E qC?@G:49 >:D:?E6CAC6E65 E96 =2H 2?5 D9@F=5 ?@E 92G6 3JA2DD65 E96 @77:46VD ?@C>2= AC@46DD 7@C :DDF:?8 @A:?:@?D]k^Am
kAmQ&A@? 7FCE96C C6G:6H @7 E96 DE2EFE6 2?5 E96 W;F586VDX 564:D:@?[ E96 @77:46 92D 4@?4=F565 E92E E96 :?7@C>2= @A:?:@? >:D:?E6CAC6E65 E96 8@G6C?:?8 DE2EFE6D[Q |2J6D HC@E6] Q}@C D9@F=5 2? :?7@C>2= @A:?:@? F?D:8?65 3J E96 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= 92G6 366? :DDF65 :? 2 D:>:=2C >2??6C 2D 2 7@C>2= @A:?:@?]Qk^Am
kAm|2J6D 42>6 :?E@ @77:46 :? y2?F2CJ 27E6C ?2CC@H=J 56762E:?8 #6AF3=:42? p36 w2>2569[ 8:G:?8 2== E9C66 E@A DE2E6 @77:46D E@ s6>@4C2ED 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 :? 564256D] |2J6D 4C:E:4:K65 qC?@G:49 7@C A@=:E:4:K:?8 E96 @77:46 2?5 92D C6G6CD65 @C E2<6? 4@?EC2CJ G:6HD @? D6G6C2= @7 9:D 564:D:@?D[ C2?8:?8 7C@> 9:D 5676?D6 @7 =2HD E92E H@F=5 @FE=2H G:CEF2==J 2== 23@CE:@?D E@ E96 C:89E @7 4:E:6D E@ E6== =2?5=@C5D E96J 42??@E 5:D4C:>:?2E6 282:?DE E6?2?ED D:>A=J 3642FD6 E96:C C6?E :D 36:?8 DF3D:5:K65 3J 7656C2= AC@8C2>D]k^Am
kAmx? E96 ?6H @A:?:@?[ D96 28C665 H:E9 |4v:?=6J E92E 2==@H:?8 2 7F== 92?5\4@F?E H@F=5 C6?56C E96 56E2:=65 :?DECF4E:@?D @? 9@H E@ 6IA2?5 E96 4@F?E :7 E96 C6DF=ED 5:5 ?@E >2E49 E96 >249:?6 4@F?E F??646DD2CJ 2?5 >62?:?8=6DD] %96 92?5 4@F?ED 2C6 :?E6?565 E@ 6?DFC6 E96 >249:?6 E23F=2E@CD 2C6 244FC2E6=J 4@F?E:?8 E96 32==@ED]k^Am
kAmr@49:D6 r@F?EJ #64@C56C s2G:5 $E6G6?D[ 2 #6AF3=:42? H9@ DFAA@CE65 E96 92?5 4@F?E 677@CE 2?5 925 C64CF:E65 G@=F?E66CD 7C@> 3@E9 >2;@C A@=:E:42= A2CE:6D E@ 5@ E96 4@F?E 367@C6 :E H2D 3=@4<65[ 5:5 ?@E :>>65:2E6=J C6EFC? 2 42== |@?52J D66<:?8 4@>>6?E]k^Am
kAmqFE p=6I2?56C z@=@5:?[ 2? 2EE@C?6J C6AC6D6?E:?8 r@49:D6 r@F?EJ :? :ED 2AA62=[ D2:5 96 36=:6G6D E96 4@F?EJ H:== AC6G2:= 2E E96 4@FCE @7 2AA62=D[ C682C5=6DD @7 H92E |2J6D :D ?@H D2J:?8]k^Am
kAmQp== x 42? D2J :D 4@>:?8 :? 2?5 @G6CEFC?:?8 J@FC AC65646DD@CVD @A:?:@? :D @3G:@FD=J 2 A@=:E:42= >@G6[Q D2:5 z@=@5:? H9@ 2=D@ D6CG6D 2D 2 #6AF3=:42? >6>36C @7 E96 DE2E6 w@FD6 @7 #6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 7C@> $4@EED52=6] p?JH2J[ 96 D2:5[ |2J6DV @A:?:@? – 6G6? 2 7@C>2= @?6 :? 96C C@=6 2D 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2= – :D ;FDE E92E]k^Am
kAmQpE E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J[ E96D6 pv @A:?:@?D 2C6 ?@E E96 =2H[ E96JVC6 ?@E 42D6 =2H[ E96JVC6 ?@E AC64656?E[Q z@=@5:? D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 =@H6C 4@FCE ;F586ÃD CF=:?8 D2:5 E92E pC:K@?2 =2H =:>:ED 92?5 4@F?ED @7 62C=J 32==@ED E@ `T @7 E9@D6 42DE @C d[___[ H9:496G6C :D =6DD[ 2?5 5@6D ?@E 2==@H 2? 6IA2?D:@? F?=6DD E96 4@F?E 5@6D?ÃE >2E49 E96 >249:?6 E2==J] u@C 32==@ED 42DE :? A6CD@? :? t=64E:@? s2J[ :EVD 2E =62DE aT @7 E96 AC64:?4ED @C aT[ H9:496G6C :D 8C62E6C[ 49@D6? 2E C2?5@>]k^Am
kAmz@=@5:? D2:5 E96 ;F586 8@E E92E A2CE @7 E96 CF=:?8 C:89E[ 3J 564:5:?8 E92E E96 4@F?E @7 32==@ED 42DE :?\A6CD@? @? t=64E:@? s2J 4@F=5 36 6IA2?565 2D =@?8 2D E96 32==@ED H6C6 49@D6? 2E C2?5@>[ H9:49 AC64=F56D 2 `__T 92?5 4@F?E] qFE 96 4@?E6?5D E96 Q2E =62DEQ A2CE 2==@HD >@C6 E@ 36 92?5\E2==:65]k^Am
kAm#6AF3=:42?D H9@ 4@?EC@= E96 {68:D=2EFC6 92G6 A2DD65 2 =2H E92E H@F=5 2==@H 4@F?E:6D E96 5:D4C6E:@? E@ 6IA2?5 E96:C 92?5\4@F?E 2F5:ED E@ `__T @7 E96 32==@ED 42DE] qFE :ED 72E6 :D F?46CE2:?[ D:?46 s6>@4C2E:4 v@G] z2E:6 w@33D @AA@D65 r@49:D6 r@F?EJÃD 6IA2?D:@? 677@CE =2DE J62C H9:=6 D6CG:?8 2D D64C6E2CJ @7 DE2E6[ pC:K@?2VD E@A 6=64E:@? @77:46C]k^Am
kAmz@=@5:? D2:5 E96 72E6 @7 E96 4FCC6?E =2H H:== ?@E 36 FA E@ |2J6D]k^Am
kAmQ%96J 42? A=2J A@=:E:4D H:E9 :E 2== E96J H2?E[ 3FE :EVD E96 C@=6 @7 E96 ;F5:4:2CJ E@ D2J H92E E96 =2H :D[Q 96 D2:5] Q$@ H6VC6 H2:E:?8 7@C E96 4@FCE @7 2AA62=D E@ D2J H92E E96 =2H :D]Qk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Avoid obscene, hateful, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful.
Be Nice. No name-calling, racism, sexism or any sort of -ism degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article. Real names only!