GOP Poll Watchers Shut Out, Republicans Prepare For Lawfare

After weeks of protesting Maricopa County, Arizona’s practices of favoring Dem poll workers over Republicans in the run-up to the 2022 mid-terms, the RNC and the GOP of AZ (RPAZ) issued two lawsuits against the county on Tuesday.

In contravention of Arizona law, which mandates election officials to recruit an “equal number” of poll workers from both parties, the RNC sent a letter to the country of Maricopa in September demanding an explanation for why it chose to appoint fewer GOP poll workers. Compared to the 857 Democratic poll workers, just 712 GOP poll employees were hired.

“Maricopa county employed 857 Dem poll workers, although there were only 712 Republicans in the county.”

“Although GOP Committee chairperson Mickie Niland in Maricopa county supplied the county with the names of ‘several hundred’ GOP poll worker prior to the election, the message showed that eleven of the vote centers had ended up with no Republican inspectors.”

“A major variance between parties within the boards used at the Maricopa Election Center” was also mentioned in the letter from RNC attorney Eric H. Spencer.

Only 10 Republican poll workers compared to 58 Democratic poll workers were permitted to serve on the “inspection boards,” which appears to go against the state’s process manual’s requirement that each board has “two representatives of different political groups.”

To make issues worse, Republicans who wanted to work as poll workers apparently had to go through a far stricter training program than their Dem counterparts.

“Since the County refused to permit more manageable shifts,” Spencer said, “Rigorous working circumstances are not unusual during any election, but Maricopa County has deliberately reduced its supply of board workers (particularly GOP board workers).”

After weeks of discussions and with 35 days until the midterm elections, RPAZ Chairperson Dr. Kelli Ward and RNC Chairperson Ronna McDaniel and said in a statement to Breitbart News that Maricopa County had forced them to issue a lawsuit. The declaration read:

“Maricopa County refused to negotiate for several weeks, leaving us with no alternative but to file a lawsuit because Arizona citizens who want to work as poll workers should not be excluded from the process. Arizonans deserve fundamental clarity about the manner their elections will be run, especially with the midterms only 35 days away. This is the latest effort by Republicans to encourage fair and free elections in the state of Arizona.”

The RNC informed reporters that Maricopa County “will not go along with our demand for openness” and has not provided “documents pertaining to the burdensome restrictions put on election workers” since the letter from Eric H. Spencer on September 9.