Topline

Volunteers are almost a week into a hand recount of some 2.1 million Arizona ballots from the 2020 presidential election—a recount that’s been blasted as a sham by Democrats and voting rights groups, which called on the federal government Thursday to send monitors to oversee the situation.

Key Facts

The Brennan Center for Justice, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Protect Democracy legal and voter advocacy groups sent a letter to the Justice Department Thursday saying they are “very concerned” the company performing the recount is “engaged in ongoing and imminent violations of federal voting and election laws.”

The state senate-ordered election audit started last Friday and is being carried out by a Florida-based security company called Cyber Ninjas, which has no election experience.

Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan is overseeing the election audit, despite spreading a bizarre conspiracy theory that a company tied to long-dead Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez rigged voting machines against former President Donald Trump in November (Cyber Ninjas did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes).

The advocacy groups claim the audit is in violation of federal law since ballots “are and have been in danger of being stolen, defaced, or irretrievably damaged,” while warning auditors are preparing to engage in “unlawful voter intimidation.”

There are also concerns about the privacy of ballots, with Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Daniel Martin saying he was “not yet persuaded” privacy was being protected during a hearing Tuesday involving a lawsuit from the state Democratic Party seeking to block the audit.

Tangent

On Wednesday, Martin ruled Cyber Ninjas must publicly release its procedures for guaranteeing voter privacy. The company argued releasing its methods would amount to giving out trade secrets. 

What To Watch For

The recount is expected to be finished by May 14, according to the Arizona Republic. 

Surprising Fact

Ballots are only being counted from Maricopa County—by far the most populated county in the state, and home to Phoenix and its sprawling suburbs. They’re also only looking at the results in the presidential election and the U.S. Senate race, both of which were won by Democrats. 

Key Background

The recount is being driven by Trump’s false claims that widespread voter fraud cost him winning a second term as president. But a recount of around 8,000 ballots after Election Day in Arizona found no evidence to back up Trump’s claim, nor did recounts in other states. Still, Trump said he’s monitoring the recount in Arizona and predicts “the results will be startling!”

Further Reading

Arizona’s Presidential Election Recount (Yes, That One) Back On After Democrats Refuse To Pay $1 Million (Forbes)

Judge has doubts on voter privacy in new Arizona recount (Politico)