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Conclusion
All credible audits are characterized by controls, access, and transparency that allow for
the processes and procedures to be replicated, if necessary. These standards are all
the more important in a post-election audit, where the outcome affects our democracy.
As this report has described, the review conducted by the Senate’s contractors has
consistently lacked all three of these factors. Procedures have been modified and
changed throughout, observer and media access has been inconsistent and limited, and
the process has been opaque. This exercise has been a partisan political review of the
2020 General Election for President and U.S. Senator in Maricopa County. It was
unnecessary and has undermined public confidence in accurate and secure elections
that were conducted in 2020.
Maricopa County conducted both statutorily required, as well as voluntary pre- and postelection tests and audits. In an attempt to assure the public, the county also had not
one, but two independent, accredited Voting Systems Test Labs conduct an audit of the
ballots and equipment involved in the 2020 General Election. The election results also
withstood legal scrutiny, when, in multiple lawsuits challenging the results of the
election, judge after judge found that there was no credible evidence of wrong-doing or
widespread fraud during the 2020 General Election.
Senators Fann and Peterson insisted on conducting this review despite the long-lasting
damage their actions are having on these democratic institutions. Similar attempts to
undermine the election results are spreading to other states and communities purely
because some elected leaders refuse to accept the results of the election and tell their
constituents the truth – that the 2020 election cycle was secure.
It is clear that any “outcomes” or “conclusions” that are reported from the Senate’s
review, by the Cyber Ninjas or any of their subcontractors or partners, are unreliable. As
such, it is imperative that leaders across the state and country proclaim that the 2020
General Election was fair and accurate. The voters in Maricopa County turned out,
despite ongoing challenges, and made their voices heard. The right to vote is a
preeminent feature of American democracy and must be honored.