An Arizona judge handed down a ruling in the lawsuit.
An Arizona judge rejected Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s request to view signed ballots of about 1.3 million early voters in the state.
In a ruling on Nov. 30, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge John Hannah denied Ms. Lake, who had ran for governor during the 2022 midterms, from gaining access to the ballot envelopes in connection to last year’s elections. He argued that releasing the ballot envelopes and signatures would imperil the verification process for future Arizona elections.
“The broad right of electoral participation outweighs the narrow interests of those who would continue to pick at the machinery of democracy,” the judge wrote, adding that the release of the envelopes would “create a significant risk of widespread voter fraud where none now exists.”
Their release, he said, would also “expose voters to harassment and potentially force them to defend the integrity of their own votes. Some number of voters would stop participating entirely, out of fear of identity theft or concern about privacy.”
“Those individuals have exactly the same interest in being heard through the electoral process as those who voted for unsuccessful candidates in past elections. Their frustration and disillusionment are every bit as harmful to democratic self-government as the frustration and disillusionment of those who have come to doubt the ‘integrity’ of the electoral process,” Judge Hannah wrote.
Bryan Blehm, Lake’s attorney, has not released a public comment on the ruling. Ms. Lake has yet to comment directly on her social media but has been re-posting supportive comments on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Ms. Lake’s campaign account on X, the Kari Lake War Room, argued that her public records request “was valid” but that the judge “chose not to release the records anyway.” The account argued further that Judge Hannah’s ruling went “against transparent elections.”
In another post, her campaign wrote that “there is nothing on these envelopes that is not present on other government documents” and noted that anyone can see the signatures on deeds and other documents that are sent to the county recorder’s office. “They are being hidden from the public because they will expose just how weak our elections are,” it added.
This was the trial where the judge would not allow us to present any evidence, or let any of our expert witnesses speak.
— Kari Lake War Room (@KariLakeWarRoom) November 30, 2023
From a legal perspective, this case is a layup.
There is nothing on these envelopes that is not present on other government documents.
They are being hidden…
The majority of the two-day bench trial regarding her lawsuit was spent hearing testimony from Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, who is named as a defendant in the suit. Mr. Richer explained Ms. Lake’s initial request to see the envelopes was turned down because state law mandates that ballot envelope signatures remain confidential.
