OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 12:27 PM PT – Thursday, October 27, 2022
A rural Arizona county has cancelled its plans for a complete hand count of its ballots in the midterm elections amid scrutiny from Democrat Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs.
On Wednesday, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors informed Hobbs (D-Ariz.) that it will only conduct a partial hand count of ballots. This comes after Hobbs threatened the county with legal action if it did not reverse course on its initial plan for a complete hand count of every item on the ballot.
Prior to the change, the county had moved to a complete hand count amid concerns of potential voter fraud. Daniel Lachance, a concerned voter, spoke out about the change in plans.
“We were forced to use these machines against our will and without our consent,” Lachance said. “And now want to look at their result and confirm their results. I don’t know why anyone would be opposed to that.”
This, as Hobbs’ Trump-endorsed opponent in the gubernatorial race Kari Lake, has made election integrity a vital issue in her campaign to lead the Grand Canyon State.