Topline
According to a draft report, the controversial recount of Arizona's 2020 election results that Donald Trump claimed would show fraud did not produce any conclusive evidence and in fact helped President Joe Biden win.
Cyber Ninjas contractors, who were hired by the Arizona State Senate to examine and count... [+] ballots at the 2020 general election at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona on May 1, 2021. Getty Images
The Key Facts
According to the Arizona Mirror's draft report, Trump received 261 less votes than the official count. Biden, however, had 99 more. Biden won the state with a total of 360 votes, beating Trump by 45,469 votes. Although there was no evidence of fraud or malfeasance, the auditors did find some claims regarding ballots that could have been problematic. These claims were not fully investigated and left open to interpretation in the early review.
What to Watch
The Arizona Senate will hear from the auditors on Friday at 1 pm. Because the final version of the report was not available to news outlets, the contents may be changed.
Important Quote
Jack Sellers, chairman of Maricopa County Board, stated that the overall results of the draft report confirmed that the tabulation equipment correctly counted the ballots and reflect the will to vote.
Important Background
The review of Maricopa Countys election results was commissioned by Arizonas Republican-controlled Senate this spring following repeatedand baselessclaims from Trump that his loss in the state was due to widespread fraud. Cyber Ninjas, a private contractor hired by Arizona's Senate to audit the recount, has been widely criticized for their biased and sometimes bizarre methods. Cyber Ninjas were not familiar with recounts or administering elections. The CEO of the company had also publicly supported Trump's claims of election fraud. Experts recommend that the audit results be treated with suspicion.
Big Number
$5.7 million This is how much it cost to audit the votes in Maricopa County.
What to Watch
Others are also launching an audit similar to the one in Arizona. After pressure from his supporters and the former president, recounts have already begun in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Texas secretary of state office announced Thursday that it would conduct a full forensic audit in four counties of the 2020 election. These audits could be in violation of federal law, according to the Biden administration.
Continue reading
Trump Asks for an Election Audit in TexasWhich He Won? (Forbes).
Pennsylvania's Election Audit gets off to a wild start as GOP subpoenas personal details on every voter in state (Forbes).
