Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) on Wednesday rejected Senate President Karen Fann's (R-Prescott) request into an "independent analysis" of voting data throughout the Grand Canyon State. According to Fann, an investigation needed to be conducted into allegations of voter fraud or they would linger “if something isn’t done to alleviate claims that the election was conducted unfairly, if not fraudulently.”
Hobbs rejected Fann's request, saying it feeds into the misinformation and conspiracy theories that are plaguing the nation, KJZZ radio reported.
“It is patently unreasonable to suggest that, despite there being zero credible evidence of any impropriety or widespread irregularities, election officials nonetheless have a responsibility to prove a negative,” Hobbs told Fann. “Elected officials should work to build, rather than damage, public confidence in our system.”
“I respectfully decline your request to push aside the work that remains to be done to ensure an orderly completion of this election and instead launch and fund with taxpayer dollars a boundless ‘independent’ evaluation of ‘all data related to the tabulation of votes in the 2020 General Election,”’ Hobbs concluded.
Fann told Capitol Media Services her request was valid because concerns surrounding the election need to be addressed.
“There are a lot of questions that the voters have,” she said. “And for the integrity of our democracy, why wouldn’t we want to get to the bottom of these questions?”
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Although Hobbs rejected an independent analysis, she said she would provide Fann with data from various logic and accuracy tests that were conducted before early in-person voting began in October. Hobbs, however, said those tests were conducted in public and representatives from the Republican and Democratic Parties were invited to partake. The Republican Party in Maricopa County reportedly did not attend.
Even though Hobbs says no voting irregularities have taken place, the Trump campaign filed a lawsuit against her over allegations that Maricopa County "incorrectly rejected votes cast by in-person voters on Election Day."
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