Mormon Women for Ethical Government Statement on Arizona Cyber Ninjas Election Review
Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our democracy. Last November, notwithstanding a global pandemic, millions of Arizonans exercised their right to vote, and these votes were counted and certified using tested and true processes. As had always been the case, counties certified their respective results, and the entire election was then certified by Secretary of State Hobbs and witnessed and signed off by Governor Ducey, Attorney General Brnovich, and then-Chief Justice Brutinel in accordance with state law.
The governor asserted his faith in Arizona’s elections system and encouraged those with concerns about either election processes or results to follow the state’s robust procedures for election review. None of those challenges succeeded in court. Further, every tried and tested method has confirmed the election results.
Every court ruling has upheld the Arizona election results. Every county audit has upheld the Arizona election results. Every longstanding and nonpartisan system has upheld the Arizona election results. In Maricopa County, the largest county in the state with more than two million votes, the process was followed and upheld by both Republican and Democratic officials. By every objective and disinterested measure, the election results were fair and free of significant fraud.
Despite these strong assurances, former President Trump refused to acknowledge the validity of the presidential election results. In response to his complaints, Arizona Senate Republican leadership hired a private firm to conduct a partisan review of the election results in Maricopa County. This firm, Cyber Ninjas, had no experience with this type of work and is not independent or objective. Their audit has not followed state policy regarding the handling of ballots or election information and so has not maintained the trust, consistency, and security necessary for election results to be commonly accepted. Worse, it has potentially compromised the private voting information of many Arizona residents.
The November 2020 election in Arizona was executed according to time-honored standards of excellence. It was safe, fair, and secure. All questions raised about the election were granted respectful and systemic review according to previously agreed-upon policies. The election results were legitimate, and regardless of the firm’s findings this review would have had no bearing on its legitimacy.
It is critical for the health and future of our democracy for our elected officials and past time for public servants to reaffirm the will of the people — and the integrity of our election systems. We must resist the efforts of those who respond to their own electoral failure with attempts to alter a legitimate election outcome and instead insist that the will of the people of Arizona be heard and honored. This process was a waste of time and money, and it put voter privacy and election security at risk. Its supposed findings should not be relied upon to pass laws that make it harder to vote or easier to question results in the future. Other states considering similar reviews should stop before they start.
