In a recent ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided to toss out a lawsuit filed by former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and unsuccessful Arizona Secretary of State candidate Mark Finchem. The lawsuit, which had previously been dismissed, aimed to challenge the use of electronic voting machines and sought to ban them from being used in the 2021 midterm elections.
Both Lake and Finchem, who are members of the Republican party, alleged in their lawsuit that the ballot tabulation machines were not trustworthy. However, the court found that their claims did not present a plausible inference that their individual votes in future elections would be adversely affected by the use of electronic tabulation. This conclusion was made particularly in light of the robust safeguards in Arizona law, the use of paper ballots, and the post-tabulation retention of those ballots.
Despite their efforts to contest the use of electronic voting machines, Lake ultimately lost her race by more than 17,000 votes, while Finchem faced an even greater defeat with a margin of over 120,000 votes.
This decision by the federal appeals court reinforces confidence in the integrity of Arizona’s voting system and affirms the effectiveness of the measures in place to protect the accuracy and security of election outcomes.
Ballot Printer Issues in Maricopa County
The recent challenge in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix and housing a majority of Arizona’s voters, focused on problems with ballot printers at polling places. These printers produced defective ballots with text that was either too light or too small to be read by the tabulators on site.
The issues with the printers caused confusion and resulted in backed-up lines in some areas. However, the Arizona Court of Appeals found no evidence to suggest that voters who had unreadable ballots were ultimately unable to cast their votes.
There has been no immediate response from lawyers representing Lake and Finchem regarding the appeal court’s ruling.
Another lawsuit filed by Lake this year is still pending, which addresses Maricopa County’s ballot signature-verification process. In this lawsuit, Lake has demanded the release of 1.3 million ballot envelopes signed by voters.
Lake, a prominent Republican candidate from the previous election, has been vocal in promoting former President Donald Trump’s false claims about the election, making it a central theme of her campaign.
The Unyielding Election Denier: Lake’s Ascent to the 2024 Campaign
In the aftermath of the November elections, where many other candidates accepted defeat, one individual stood firm in her belief of victory: Lake. Despite the prevailing consensus, Lake refused to concede her loss and maintains her aspirations for a prominent role in Trump’s upcoming 2024 campaign.
An Unconventional Contender
Within the realm of election deniers, Lake’s resilience sets her apart from the rest. While others bowed out gracefully, acknowledging the results, she defiantly clings to her conviction. This unwavering determination has earned her recognition as a potential running mate alongside Trump in his anticipated 2024 presidential bid.