January 13, 2021

Judge: Arizona Senate, Maricopa County need to settle fight over election data

GOP-led senate had asked for the court to compel compliance from the county

360 maricopa ballot box A Maricopa County voter turns in an early ballot on Oct. 26, 2020.
John DeSoto/AZPM Staff

A judge is refusing to order Maricopa County to immediately turn over a raft of election data and copies of all mail-in ballots from November’s election to Republicans who control the Arizona Senate. Instead, he's imploring the two sides to settle their bitter dispute.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Timothy Thomason said during a Wednesday hearing that it would be far better for the citizens of Arizona if the county and Senate Republicans reached a deal.

The Senate sought the material in the wake of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the state’s presidential race. Some Republicans have made unsupported claims Biden's win was fraudulent.

By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona