In an unyielding bid for election integrity, Republican Kari Lake has pushed forward her fight against what she views as a marred 2022 election, appealing her legal challenge against Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs’ victory last November. During a “Defend America Rally” held in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Wednesday, Lake made it clear that she’s prepared to ensure a fair 2024 election, whatever it takes.
“My legal team has recently filed a notice of appeal to the Arizona appellate court,” Lake told the crowd. “We have evidence showing manipulation of the voting machines. Our sacred right to vote was undermined when these machines failed on Election Day, and I will not rest until we reclaim our government.”
Lake’s determination to fight doesn’t stem from personal political aspirations but from a deep-seated desire to preserve the democratic values she believes are fundamental to our country. “My aim is not to craft a political career, but to rescue our country,” she declared passionately.
The basis of Lake’s appeal revolves around two primary concerns. The first issue pertains to Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson’s decision about Maricopa County officials’ adherence to Arizona’s laws on signature verification for a significant number of mail-in ballots.
Last month, an expert witness testifying on behalf of Lake pointed out that roughly 70,000 mail-in ballots were reviewed for signature matches in less than two seconds, with seven ballot reviewers maintaining a 100% approval rate. The narrow margin of victory, with Hobbs edging out Lake by just 17,000 votes or 0.7% of the 2.59 million votes cast, adds fuel to Lake’s argument.
The second issue raised by Lake involves widespread problems with voting machines at polling locations throughout the county on Election Day. According to Lake’s attorneys, new evidence was denied presentation at trial, which they claim would show Maricopa County knew beforehand about issues with the tabulators at almost two-thirds of its vote centers.
Such issues resulted in long lines at multiple voting locations throughout Maricopa County on Election Day, as improperly aligned barcodes caused tabulators to reject ballots. With Republicans outvoting Democrats 3 to 1 that day, this malfunction could have disproportionally affected conservative voters.
In a recent pre-trial conference, Lake’s attorney, Kurt Olsen, claimed that secret testing was conducted on the tabulators after they were certified, revealing that 260 of the 446 tabulators failed and were still used in the election. The county, however, denies such secret testing occurred.
Lake, undeterred by the controversy and the legal back-and-forth, remained steadfast in her resolve. “We are not stopping,” she proclaimed. Lake also hinted at a video allegedly documenting the testing in question, promising further filings in the coming days.
In her ongoing fight for electoral integrity, Lake has expressed her intent to take her case all the way to the U.S Supreme Court. “Our country is being torn apart. The fabric of our country is just torn apart right now. They want an election case, and I think we’ve got the perfect one to bring to them,” she said.
Regardless of political affiliations, the cornerstone of American democracy lies in the assurance of fair and transparent elections. The appeal by Kari Lake serves as a reminder that every citizen has a stake in preserving that foundation and underscores the importance of relentless vigilance in protecting our democratic processes.
