Lake Seeks Election Records in AZ Suit 11/26 09:16

   

   PHOENIX (AP) -- Kari Lake, the defeated Republican candidate for Arizona 
governor, has filed a public records lawsuit demanding Maricopa County hand 
over a variety of documents related to the election.

   Lake has refused to acknowledge that she lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs and 
has for weeks drawn attention to voters who said they experienced long lines 
and other difficulties while voting on Election Day in Arizona's largest county.

   Her lawyer, Tim LaSota, says in the suit filed Wednesday that the county has 
not fulfilled public records requests filed on Nov. 15 and 16. The requests 
seek to identify voters who may have had trouble casting a ballot, such as 
people who checked in at more than one vote center or those who returned a mail 
ballot and also checked in at a polling place.

   Lake is also asking for information about counted and uncounted ballots that 
were accidentally mixed. County officials have acknowledged the problem 
occurred at a handful of vote centers but say it happens in most elections and 
can be reconciled.

   Lake and her allies have bombarded Maricopa County with complaints about 
Election Day problems, which stem largely from a problem with printers at some 
vote centers that led them to print ballots with markings that were too light 
to be read by the on-site tabulators. All ballots were counted, but Lake says 
some of her supporters may have been unable to cast a ballot amid the chaos.

   Lake wants the county to produce the records before certifying the election. 
The Board of Supervisors, controlled 4-1 by Republicans, votes to certify the 
election on Monday, the deadline under state law. Certification votes are also 
scheduled for Monday in five other counties, including two where Republican 
supervisors voted earlier to delay certifying the election.

   The statewide canvass is scheduled for Dec. 5.

   County officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment 
Friday. Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates, a Republican, has said the 
county takes responsibility for the printer issue but blamed prominent 
Republicans including state GOP Chair Kelli Ward for exacerbating the problem 
by telling voters not to allow their ballots to be counted at the elections 
headquarters in downtown Phoenix.