October 25, 2022
COCHISE, Arizona — On Monday, two weeks before the general election, Cochise County officials voted to hand-count all county ballots. All Voting Is Local’s Arizona State Director Alex Gulotta released the following statement in response to the decision:
“Cochise County officials have made a decision that will only serve to undermine public trust in the election system. Hand-counting ballots is a conspiracy theory-driven tactic used to disrupt and delay the election. Supporters of hand-counting want to grab power rather than follow the will of the people. Instead of shutting down the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen, Cochise County officials have chosen to give it new life and further undermine the legitimacy of our elections.
“In addition to undermining the electoral process and wasting taxpayer resources, the decision to hand-count ballots goes against best practices in election administration and could face legal challenges from state officials. Following a strategy of confusion and disruption, conspiracy theorists continue to use every possible tactic to disenfranchise voters, grab power, and make our free and fair elections partisan playgrounds. But they will not prevail. We are part of a powerful coalition of groups defending our democracy so that each and every vote is counted and every voice is heard.”