Postal bins with tags for ballots in the 2020 general election.
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors voted 2 to 1 on Monday to count ballots from this year’s election by hand, a method election officials warn is unreliable and not allowed under law.
The county will also count ballots by machine.
But as many Republican officials push false claims that tabulation equipment is rigged, Supervisor Peggy Judd said the hand count will improve confidence in the election system.
Supervisor Tom Crosby also backed the proposal. Chair Ann English opposed it.
English said the proposal is against the legal advice of county staff, who say nothing in Arizona law allows for a hand count.
State officials have warned a hand count would be inaccurate and illegal.
And Republican state Representative Joel John told the board in a letter that he would file a complaint with the attorney general if the county proceeds with the plan. If the county is found to be violating state law, it’s state funding could be cut.
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