Congressman Biggs Requests 100% Audit of Maricopa County, Arizona Ballots
GILBERT, ARIZONA – Last week, Congressman Andy Biggs, along with Congressman Paul Gosar (AZ-04) and Congressman David Schweikert (AZ-06), sent a letter to the members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, requesting a 100 percent audit of ballots cast to allow tabulators to review ballot images and compare the results to current totals.
Congressman Biggs issued the following statement:
"Americans and Arizonans must have full confidence in our election processes and systems in order to maintain the bedrock of our constitutional republic. Although Arizona conducts elections with far more transparency and accountability than other states, there have been some issues raised about the integrity of some of our election systems within the state. For this reason, I am calling on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to go above and beyond to assure the public of the integrity of Maricopa County's elections. Let's leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of accountability and transparency."
Read the text of the letter below:
November 13, 2020
The Honorable Clint Hickman
Chairman, District 4
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
The Honorable Steve Chucri
Supervisor, District 2
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
The Honorable Steve Gallardo
Supervisor, District 5
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
The Honorable Jack Sellers
Vice Chairman, District 1
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
The Honorable Bill Gates
Supervisor, District 3
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
Dear Chairman Hickman and members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors,
Thank you for your vigilance in working to ensure Arizona's election is fair and accurate. We appreciate the dedicated effort required to manage an election of this scale in Arizona's largest county, and we are grateful for the opportunity to share our thoughts on how best to move forward.
More than 3.2 million ballots were cast for the presidential election in Arizona, with more than 63 percent of those cast in Maricopa County. Yet hundreds of voters in Maricopa County have signed affidavits alleging their ballots cast in the November 3 election may have been discounted. Every voter has the right to know that his or her ballot was accurately tabulated.
Arizona state law sets out various mechanisms to root out fraud and protect the integrity of the results. While the election margins may not be narrow enough to trigger a recount, you are permitted to conduct a 100 percent manual audit. State law requires a manual audit of a minimum number of ballots cast, both those cast early and those cast in-person on election day (A.R.S. § 16-602(B), (F)). The law does not, however, impose a ceiling on the number of ballots that may be manually audited. Maricopa County has full authority to require a 100 percent audit of ballots cast, allowing tabulators to review ballot images and compare the results to current totals.
The narrow margin that currently exists between the two presidential candidates, together with questions regarding anomalies and potential errors, is more than enough reasoning to conduct a manual audit of ballot images. A manual audit of ballot images will provide full transparency of Maricopa County's election results. This will ameliorate concerns voters have expressed, will tamp down rumors, and will assuage the concerns of non-Arizonans calling our election results into question. Please use your statutory authority to compel the County Recorder to commence and complete a manual audit of ballot images. Thank you for your leadership and consideration.
All the best,
Andy Biggs
Member of Congress
Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S.
Member of Congress
David Schweikert
Member of Congress