Top Arizona Elections Official Explains Why Drop Box Watchers Are Morons
Self-appointed vigilantes inspired to action by lies from the GOP’s hard-right MAGA wing about the 2020 election being “stolen” continue to stake out early-voting drop boxes in Arizona for signs of fraud they believe, contrary to all evidence, have enabled widespread cheating.
But not only can this be intimidating to voters, at least six of whom have submitted formal complaints to state authorities as of Wednesday, it’s also “ridiculous,” “ludicrous,” “preposterous,” and “stupid,” according to Maricopa County’s top elections official—a lifelong Republican.
Most of the issues since early voting began on Oct. 12 have occurred in Maricopa, where people affiliated with groups like Clean Elections USA, an outfit helmed by a QAnon-adjacent minister who regularly appears on indicted Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s podcast. Conspiracy theorist Melody Jennings, who founded the organization, has called for teams of 10 at every box in Arizona and the dozens of other states that have them, monitoring everyone who comes and goes in an attempt to identify so-called mules stuffing the receptacles with phony ballots. Many of the box-watchers have been decked out in tactical gear and body armor; some have been armed.
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