'Let the cheating begin!': Broken voting machines in Maricopa County fuel fraud allegation and blame game
MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA: Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer announced only a few hours into election day that about a fifth of its electronic vote tabulation machines had started to malfunction. He said ballots were not lining up properly inside the machines. They were not being read, he claimed, but also promised all votes cast would be counted. An emergency suit was launched by Republican campaigns, including Blake Masters, who is running for governor, to keep polling stations open late.
Republican candidate for governor, Kari Lake, asked voters to stay in line. She also said the voting problems in Arizona could be part of a plot to thwart a "red tsunami" on Tuesday, November 8. "The people of Arizona would walk over hot coals and they would walk over broken glass to vote today," she told reporters, according to the Daily Mail. "And I know that they can stand in line for a couple hours if they have to. I know they'll stand in line for eight hours. And they will vote and my message to the people of Arizona is do not get out of line until you have cast your vote. Do not get out of line until you've cast your vote. Things are looking very good for us. They may be trying to slow a red tsunami but it's coming." The incident has fueled conspiracy theories, with many claiming the Democrats were trying to subvert the vote of Republicans, who usually show up in greater numbers in person on Election Day.
