A request to send a letter to the Tucson City Clerk regarding irregularities associated with the mail-in ballots used during the November 2019 General Election was approved by the Pima County Board of Supervisors at this week’s meeting.
Supervisor Ally Miller proposed sending a letter of concern to the City of Tucson in order to address the issues raised by the Pima County Election Integrity Commission. A 4-1 bipartisan majority agreed with Miller and approved the request.
Miller’s request was made on behalf of the Commission which had informed the County of the irregularities prior to Election Day. Commissioners objected to the fact that the voters’ political party affiliation was easily visible on mail-in ballots. Commissioners outlined their objections in a memo to Supervisor Richard Elias in a memo dated October 20, 2019:
At the October regular meeting of the Pima County Election Integrity Commission, the commissioners were presented a copy of a standard City of Tucson ballot affidavit for the November 5, 2019 General Election. The form shows printing irregularities that could result in voter fraud or malicious judgments and acts carried out. The envelope clearly displays voter information that should be private above the signature line.
Additionally, under certain circumstances, the affidavit in the information it includes may be legible from the outside of the return envelope before the return envelope is opened.
Disclosure of party designation is personal information that should not be available to anyone who may be handling, receiving, processing or tabulating cast votes. At the very least it has the effect of eroding confidence in the handling of elections. Questions of election integrity spill over to other elections. The City of Tucson’s perceived disclosure private information could possibly have an adverse impact on the integrity of all Pima County elections.
In a 5-3 vote the members of the Pima County Election Integrity Commission requests that the Board of Supervisors send a letter of concern to the City of Tucson recommending that election officials investigate the cause of this irregularity, it’s possible consequences and the effect, if any, on the ongoing City of Tucson election.
The memo was presented to the Pima County Clerk of the Board over a month later and Elias refused requests to place it on an agenda for the Board’s consideration.
Prior to the vote of the Board, Chairman Elias, visibly annoyed by the issue, stated that he found “it’s kind of implausible that folks who deliver the mail are really interested in throwing an election.” Miller reiterated the fact that neither she or any other supervisors or commissioners accused anyone of anything.
Supervisor Steve Christy echoed her sentiment and stated that nobody was being accused of any wrongdoing on behalf of the mail carriers. He argued that the envelop “does expose a potential risk and hazard that is noteworthy enough to warrant the concern that we’re sending to the city.”
Ramon Valadez pointed out the right to privacy in regard to voting is paramount and the envelop seems to put that privacy at risk.
Elias responded with a bigoted and unwarranted diatribe referring to the “disabled” and “busloads of undocumented people being delivered to precincts on the South side of Tucson.”
Valadez called a point of order regarding the “germaness” or relevance to which Elias stated, “You’re right,” and immediately called for a roll call vote of the Board.
Despite acknowledging that the issue is a problem and the need for the City of Tucson to address it, Elias was sole “no” vote.
As we enter the 2020 election cycle, election integrity is at the forefront of hot-button issues across the nation. In Arizona, the Secretary of State is attempting to get an updated version of the Election Procedures Manual through.
The manual is chocked full of issues that have drawn the attention of the Attorney General and others.