RNC, Arizona AG candidate file lawsuit alleging election mismanagement by officials



Republicans in Arizona have filed a lawsuit alleging incompetence from election officials illicitly influenced the midterms.

Arizona Republican nominee for attorney general Abraham Hamadeh, together with the RNC, filed suit against many election officials Tuesday. 

The lawsuit names Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs alongside the recorders and boards of supervisors for all counties in the state.

The Republicans stated they are not alleging “fraud, manipulation or other intentional wrongdoing,” and added that the alleged mismanagement did not directly affect the outcome of the election.

ARIZONA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE DEMANDS ANSWERS TO ‘MYRIAD’ VOTING ISSUES IN MARICOPA COUNTY

Arizona Attorney General candidate Abe Hamadeh participates in a border security roundtable with law enforcement officials at the Cochise County Sheriffs Office on Nov. 4, 2022, in Sierra Vista, Arizona.
(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“The voters of Arizona demand answers and deserve transparency about the gross incompetence and mismanagement of the General Election by certain election officials,” Hamadeh said. “Pervasive errors by our election officials resulted in the disenfranchisement of countless Arizonans who had their voices silenced.” 

The Arizona attorney general race is set for recount after Hamadeh’s Democratic opponent, Kris Mayes came out just 510 votes ahead. 

Maricopa County, Arizona, Supervisor Bill Gates apologized after roughly 20% of their polling sites had problems with tabulation machines reading ballots just hours after Election Day polls opened. 

ARIZONA GOV ELECTION: KATIE HOBBS DEFEATS GOP CHALLENGER KARI LAKE, RACE MAY NOW GO TO RECOUNT UNDER STATE LAW

Voting machine malfunctions in Arizona lent to concerns over election integrity.

Voting machine malfunctions in Arizona lent to concerns over election integrity.
(AP Photo/Matt York)

The county had explained that some machines had problems with their printers and were not producing dark enough ink on ballots.

According to Maricopa County election officials, at least 60 voting locations experienced issues with their ballot-on-demand printers. The assistant attorney general is demanding an in-depth report addressing those issues, as well as the “check-out” procedures at each polling location and each location’s official ballot report.

Hamadeh and the RNC allege that Maricopa County officials wrongly disqualified provisional ballots and mis-marked early voters in the system.

KARI LAKE LAWYERS UP AHEAD OF POTENTIAL LEGAL FIGHT IN ARIZONA GOVERNOR RACE

The race between GOP candidate Kari Lake and Democrat Katie Hobbs is still undecided.

The race between GOP candidate Kari Lake and Democrat Katie Hobbs is still undecided.

Hamadeh and the RNC are not the only Arizona politicians upset with the state election system’s performance during the midterms.

Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Wright sent a letter Saturday to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office demanding explanations for the election issues before the results can be certified next week.

Bill Gates, chairman of the Maricopa Board of Supervisors, speaks about voting machine malfunctions at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 8, 2022, in Phoenix.

Bill Gates, chairman of the Maricopa Board of Supervisors, speaks about voting machine malfunctions at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Nov. 8, 2022, in Phoenix.
(John Moore/Getty Images)

“The Elections Integrity Unit of the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has received hundreds of complaints since Election Day pertaining to issues related to the administration of the 2022 General Election in Maricopa County,” Wright wrote. “These complaints go beyond pure speculation, but include first-hand witness accounts that raise concerns regarding Maricopa’s lawful compliance with Arizona election law.”

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Fox News’ Jessica Chasmar and Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.