Maricopa Board Expressed Concern to Fontes Over ‘Emergency Voting’ Centers
McSally concedes as actions of Maricopa County recorder endure scrutiny
BY: Todd Shepherd Follow @shepherdreports
November 12, 2018 8:10 pm
PHOENIX, Ariz.—The chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors emailed County Recorder Adrian Fontes on the Monday before Election Day, expressing concern over the emergency voting centers Fontes established, according to the document that was obtained exclusively by the Washington Free Beacon.
Shortly before 6 p.m. local time Monday evening, the Associated Press called the Arizona senate race for Democrat Kyrsten Sinema over Republican Martha McSally.
As the election count for the closely contested seat progressed after November 6, Democrat Recorder Fontes and the actions of his office endured heightened scrutiny. Of particular concern were the "emergency voting" centers opened by Fontes that would operate the Saturday and Monday before Election Day.
Emergency voting centers are allowable by law, but both sides are debating what should count as an emergency, or if some emergency voting centers are "de facto" extensions of early voting.
After the controversy first gained traction on the weekend preceding Election Day, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve Chucri sent an email to Fontes, and copied the county attorney on the email as well.
"Due to recent inquiries, I am formally asking you to place aside all ballots cast at emergency voting sites after early voting ended on Friday, November 2, 2018, until your legal authority to open emergency sites has been clarified," Chucri wrote in the email.
"By legal authority, I am looking to the Arizona Revised Statutes or the Secretary of State's election procedure manual. To be clear, this is about the integrity of the election; it is not the fault of the voters who may have utilized this option."
Chucri told the Washington Free Beacon that no person on the board ever received any response from Fontes.
"Last Monday, when we caught wind that just days earlier, that Mr. Fontes announced that he would have 4 or 5 emergency voting centers, which he's entitled to do by statute, we raised an eyebrow as to how he was enforcing—or should I say, detailing what an emergency is," Chucri said.
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https://freebeacon.com/politics/maricopa-board-expressed-concern-fontes-emergency-voting-centers/
