I think we should all make a point of responding to shills.
If they really do get paid by the (You) we can burn thru their budget pretty damn quick.
The Sun Times shared the information from Gilbertson with an Arizona election lawyer, who said that under the state’s elections law, tabulating an unverified ballot is a crime.
The attorney pointed to three separate provisions of Arizona state law.
First, 16-550(A) of the Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) states that the first action by elections officials upon the receipt of a ballot is to verify its authenticity by comparing the signature on the affidavit (on the envelope) to the corresponding signature in the county record.
16-550. Receipt of voter’s ballot; cure period
A. On receipt of the envelope containing the early ballot and the ballot affidavit, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall compare the signatures thereon with the signature of the elector on the elector’s registration record. If the signature is inconsistent with the elector’s signature on the elector’s registration record, the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections shall make reasonable efforts to contact the voter, advise the voter of the inconsistent signature and allow the voter to correct or the county to confirm the inconsistent signature.
(emphasis added)
Second is ARS 16-1009, which classifies the offense for public officer(s) who do not follow the procedures in the way the law describes.
16-1009. Failure or refusal to perform duty by election officer; classification
A public officer upon whom a duty is imposed by this title, who knowingly fails or refuses to perform that duty in the manner prescribed by law, is guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor.
(emphasis added)
Third is ARS 16-1010, which further classifies an election official’s failure to follow lawful procedure with regards to elections.
6-1010. Refusal by election officer to perform duty; violation of election law; classification
A person charged with performance of any duty under any law relating to elections who knowingly refuses to perform such duty, or who, in his official capacity, knowingly acts in violation of any provision of such law, is guilty of a class 6 felony unless a different punishment for such act or omission is prescribed by law.
(emphasis added)
In Arizona, each count of a class 3 misdemeanor is punishable with up to 30 days in jail. One count of a class 6 felony is punishable with up to one-and-a-half years in prison.
Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward told The Sun Times, “I don’t trust a word that comes out of the Maricopa County Election’s Department nor from the County Recorder and his staff. They’ve got a history of incompetence, law breaking, and obfuscation related to election integrity and this is just another instance. … it looks like they’ve got something to hide.”