Lake Lawyer Seeks Clarity on Pima County’s Mysterious ‘Clerical Error’

Pima County officials are facing scrutiny following a clerical error that resulted in the misreporting of uncounted ballots. The discrepancy came to light after attorney Jennifer Wright lodged a complaint on behalf of Kari Lake, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Wright highlighted that the county’s reported number of untallied ballots surged unexpectedly within a two-hour window. “Kari Lake for Arizona demands that Pima County provide an immediate explanation for the discrepancies,” Wright stated in her correspondence with Daniel Jurkowitz from the Pima County Attorney’s Office.

Wright noted an oddity in the reports, revealing that a document uploaded at 3:23 p.m. was initially identical to the previous report from 1:23 p.m. Suddenly, the figures were altered without any change to the timestamp, raising further questions.

Criticism erupted on social media from Lake’s campaign, which articulated concern that the numbers should remain static. “Instead, it’s like an accordion,” the campaign posted, expressing frustration over the fluctuating ballot count.

Mark Evans, a spokesman for the county, characterized the issue as a simple clerical error. “In this age of conspiracy, everything gets blown up into inserted votes,” he remarked, seeking to dispel speculation.

Wright, who remains skeptical, emphasized the need for transparency. “Show me your work,” she urged, as she seeks detailed breakdowns of outstanding ballots, including those pending under signature verification.

The timing of these inaccuracies is crucial, as Lake is trailing in her Senate campaign against Democrat Ruben Gallego, with the Secretary of State’s Office reporting a deficit of 33,898 votes. Even with more than 588,000 ballots uncounted statewide, the majority are anticipated to favor Gallego in heavily Democratic Pima County.

Evans clarified that the reporting error stemmed from complications arising when ballots required division into two cards. “We reported the number of cards we counted rather than the number of ballots,” he explained, noting that the actual count was significantly lower than initially reported.

The discrepancies have further implications, as they could potentially provide grounds for legal challenges by Lake, who is no stranger to controversy surrounding election results following her gubernatorial loss in 2022.

As officials work to clarify the situation, Wright continues to demand answers. “People deserve transparency,” she stated firmly, underscoring the importance of restoring public trust in the electoral process.