"A Maricopa County Superior Court judge rejected Kari Lake’s lawsuit request to view signed ballots of 1.3 million early voters in Arizona.
Judge John Hannah’s ruling, filed Thursday, denied Lake from gaining access to the envelopes in connection to the 2022 gubernatorial race that she lost to now Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Hannah argued the release of the ballot envelopes and their signatures would undermine the ballot verification process for future elections.
“The broad right of electoral participation outweighs the narrow interests of those who would continue to pick at the machinery of democracy,” Hannah wrote.
According to the filing, obtained by The Arizona Republic , 84 percent of the ballots processed during last year’s general election cycle were early ballots. The County Recorder’s office was responsible for verifying the ballots. The office found 16,000 inconsistent signatures but later determined 14,200 of them were lawful voting citizens. The remaining 1,800 envelopes were never opened or counted.
Lake filed the case in April against County Recorder Stephen Richer’s office under the Arizona Public Records Law.
Hannah’s ruling said giving the ballots to Lake creates a “risk of widespread fraud where none exists at present” since the envelopes contain personal information like names, addresses and phone numbers of voters. In Arizona, early voting envelopes serve as an affidavit in which voters declare that they are registered to vote and haven’t already voted in that election, The Associated Press noted.
It also creates the “real possibility of voter harassment,” Hannah said, adding that it could corrode public confidence in the electoral process.
The 12-page ruling detailed how during the case’s trial in September, a former election worker testified about how she received threats after videos were posted online showing her preparing equipment for a subpoena from the state Senate’s review of the 2020 election.
Lake has lost two trials that challenged her loss to Hobbs last year, when she lost the race by just more than 17,000 votes. She claimed in her second trial, dismissed in May , that there was misconduct in signature verification in Maricopa County, home to nearly 4.5 million people.
The former TV anchor announced in October that she was entering the race for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-Ariz.) seat and would likely face off against Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Sinema, if the incumbent announces she will run for reelection.
Lake has been a vocal supporter and ally of former President Trump and earned his endorsement shortly after announcing her bid.
I bet Trump's $500 million expansion of Gitmo has a very large Judges cell block.
Oh I like your thinking ! These bastards need to stay behind bars for life …I’d rather that then death .
We can feed them those very tasty and nutritious bugs they have developed for human consumption.
Great idea . And run videos of Trump rally’s while they eat . The judges like the Drs need to do life the others like Fauci etc need to be snapped .
Play the 24-Hour Trump Channel continuously. Let them catch up on all the old rallies and speeches.
Wouldn’t that be great ,, how do we get a job at Gitmo ! They should do tours !
At the very least "Livestream Gitmo".
Yes so we can watch it at our leisure ,, but sure would be nice to take a tour and ask the question .. how’s it feel to be locked up you piece of puke ! They have harmed so many. Just tonight my son was telling me that the homeless he feeds , he actually does the cooking out side bbq for a organization called .. We See You San Diego .. ( we see u homeless people ). he was telling me the numbers have grown to over 300 Each person gets a hamburger and hotdog and there are sides .. I got so choked up , but not for thst blessing , but becsuse this fkn administration and their minions , judges etc have made it possible for millions of illegals to have hotel rooms and food vouchers while americans line up once a week to get a hotdog and hamburger .. I’d like to see these bastards locked up and be told everyday ,, tomorrow is the day you hang ,,
5, 7 or 9 to a cell. Economical!
AZ judges seems so corrupt or they are afraid of the Mexican gangs that may threaten them and their family members.
They're blackmailed pedophiles.
they have no choice in the matter
And possibly, Yes.
Yes.
Tar and feather these retards
How much you want to bet they destroyed them like the j6 depositions.
Do you have some sort of red line, which if crossed, would suggest to you the plan has failed? I've kind of decided if the Democrats win the next presidential election and one gets sworn in and isn't immediately arrested that we're well and truly in trouble until the rapture happens or some massive Declaration of Independence style movement begins.
AND what are these idiots AFRAID OF????? WOWZA!!!!
Aaaannnndddd bullshit. Ballots are separated from envelopes when opened. Therefore an envelope has no information indicating who was voted for. But does provide a name and address with which to verify signatures.
We need to hold these fucking people to account and use the resources available to regain our constitutional republic. Don’t allow them to use flim flam BS mumbo jumbo to shut you down.
Cue Braveheart speech and spear in the air...
I, for one, would like to see my envelope. When I called to see if my ballot was counted, they told me it was canceled because someone else signed the envelope. I've been voting in AZ for 41 years, and I know how to sign my envelope....
This is the fraud out in the open now. Only a matter of time before this whole criminal syndicate comes crashing down.
Courts stalling and slow walking the process to the state supreme court
I trust the plan. Otherwise, these rulings would be making me crazy.