The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to spend nearly $500,000 to audit the county’s election systems.
The board, which includes four Republicans and one Democrat, voted unanimously to spend $400,000 for a “comprehensive review of the county’s election procedures” by an outside firm.
County Auditor Susan Adams said the independent audit will be designed “to make sure that the election process is being done according to statute; that it’s being effectively driven; there's efficiency in the process.”
The board also voted to spend $80,000 for an independent audit of the vote tabulators and other technology and equipment used to run elections.
Board Chairman Thomas Galvin, who has long defended the county’s election administration against criticism from fellow Republicans, said he believes the county did an exceptional job running elections last year after well-publicized ballot printing issues led to delays and voter discontent in 2022.
“But what we should not do, what this board should not do, is rest on its laurels and say everything is great, perfect and peachy keen,” he said.
The vote comes four years after the Arizona Senate conducted a discredited review of the county’s 2020 elections as some Republican officials sought to validate President Donald Trump’s false claims that he defeated former President Joe Biden that year.
“Unfortunately, I do believe that a lot of the statements made back then were false, a lot of conspiracies, but a lot of false information in regards to our election,” said Supervisor Steve Gallardo, the board’s lone Democrat.
But Gallardo voted in favor of conducting an independent audit this year. He said he is confident in the county’s election administration but called the forthcoming audit “a correct step forward.”
“I believe when we complete this review, it’s going to come back to say, ‘Yeah, we have a very solid safe election,’” he said. “However, I would anticipate some possible recommendations.”
Galvin and Supervisor Debbie Lesko, both Republicans, each called for an independent review of the county’s elections shortly after being sworn into office this year.
“One, I want to be convinced that everything's great, and if there's any changes that are needed, that we can vote to change them,” said Lesko, who voted against certifying Biden’s win over Trump in 2020 while serving in Congress. “The other is that the public, the public is calling for this.”
The Republican-led board’s staunch defense against disproven conspiracy theories alleging widespread voter fraud of its election results in 2020 and 2022 led to a fraught relationship with some members of the public, especially Trump supporters who regularly show up to board meetings to criticize the supervisors.
It is not yet known who will perform the audit. Lesko said the project will go out for a public bid.
“Of course you have to be qualified and experienced to get to be the winner,” she said.
