That was a voter who might have cast a ballot in another state. Maricopa County, which is subject to the disputed ballot review ordered by state Senate Republicans, has identified just one case of potential fraud out of 2.1 million ballots cast. A spokeswoman declined to provide updated information this week. In addition to the AP's review of county election offices, an Election Integrity Unit of the state attorney general’s office that was created in 2019 to ferret out fraud has been reviewing potential cases of fraud.Ī spokesman for Attorney General Mark Brnovich told the AP in April that the unit had 21 active investigations, although he did not specify if all were from last fall.Ī month later, the office indicted a woman for casting a ballot on behalf of her dead mother in November. The majority of cases identified so far involve people casting a ballot for a relative who had died or people who tried to cast two ballots. Most counties - 11 out of 15 - reported they had forwarded no potential cases to local prosecutors. The AP tallied the potential cases after submitting public record requests to all Arizona counties. “It is a lie that has developed over time. “This is not a massive issue,” said Adrian Fontes, a Democrat who oversaw the Maricopa County election office during the 2020 election and lost his re-election bid. “And part of that entails taking potential voter fraud seriously.” “The fact of the matter is that election officials across the state are highly invested in helping to ensure the integrity of our elections and the public’s confidence in them,” said Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat. Numerous safeguards are built into the system to not only prevent fraud from happening but to detect it when it does. In final, certified and audited results, Biden won 10,400 more votes than Trump out of 3.4 million cast.ĪP's findings align with previous studies showing voter fraud is rare. While it's possible more cases could emerge, the numbers illustrate the implausibility of Trump's claims that fraud and irregularities in Arizona cost him the state's electorate votes. So far, only four cases have led to charges, including those identified in a separate state investigation. PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona county election officials have identified fewer than 200 cases of potential voter fraud out of more than 3 million ballots cast in last year's presidential election, further discrediting former President Donald Trump's claims of a stolen election as his allies continue a disputed ballot review in the state's most populous county.Īn Associated Press investigation found 182 cases where problems were clear enough that officials referred them to investigators for further review.
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