As word that the Arizona Secretary of State’s office was preparing an informal opinion as to the legality of a hand count audit of the ballots cast in the upcoming November 3 election, Pima County officials scrambled on Friday to cancel the October 20 meeting and the vote by the Board of Supervisors on the matter.
The meeting was purportedly cancelled because Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bronson, District 4 Supervisor Ray Carroll, Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry and Deputy County Administrator John Bernal are joining officials from Sun Corridor Inc., (formerly TREO) in Washington D.C. next week to meet with members of Congress and Obama Administration officials.
Related article: Pima County Administrator Claims Verifying Elections Is A Crime
With the passing of Supervisor Richard Elias’ father this week and the absence of Carroll and Bronson, the Board lacks a quorum necessary to ensure verifiable elections through the hand count audit. The County’s press release today states that Bronson and Carroll cannot pull themselves away from their D.C. meetings and appear at the October 20 meeting in Pima County telephonically in order to have a quorum.
At issue is the demand by Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry that the Secretary of State weigh-in on the legality of performing a hand count audit of ballots prior to the October 20 meeting. Initially, in order to prevent a verifiable election, Huckelberry made the incredible claim that he was concerned that a hand count audit was illegal. The Secretary of State Michelle Reagan and Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich were then asked to issue informal opinions on the legality question.
According to Huckelberry’s press release Bronson and Carroll were expecting to meet with D.C. officials prior to that “marking up” the Transportation Bill on October 22. The release reads in part:
The trip conflicts with the scheduled Oct. 20 Board of Supervisors meeting. The meeting was intended to be held with a quorum of supervisors Ally Miller, Ramón Valadez and Richard Elías. However Supervisor Elías will not be attending the meeting next week after the passing of his father, Albert Elías Sr., Oct. 15. Supervisors Bronson and Carroll are in meetings with federal officials all day Oct. 20 and unable to participate in the board meeting telephonically. Therefore, the Oct. 20 meeting has been cancelled for lack of a quorum.
Agenda items for the Oct. 20 meeting have been moved to the next scheduled board meeting, Nov. 10.
County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry said a special board meeting could be scheduled in the interim if necessary.
A special meeting can only be called by the chair of the board, and it is unlikely that Chair Bronson would agree to create an opportunity to secure verifiable elections.
Currently members of the public are being encouraged to demand that a special board meeting be scheduled in order to have a vote on the hand count audit matter.
County spokesman Mark Evans has not answered questions regarding which officials the duo are meeting and why one of the two could be available to attend the regularly scheduled meeting.
County insiders believe that the majority of the Board and Huckelberry cannot afford a verifiable election this year with so much at stake on the ballot. The ballot contains several bond measures that Huckelberry, and the majority of the Board have been pushing in order to bail the County out and steer money to crony projects.
The move was reminiscent for some County residents, who were on hand when Bronson gaveled down public comments during a meeting, earlier this year.
Related article: County attorney excuses supervisors’ cash contributions, public denied comment