TL/DR –
Former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is seeking access to approximately 1.3 million voting envelopes used by Maricopa County voters in the 2022 election. Lake and her lawyer argue that the envelopes, which include a voter’s signature, address, and potentially a phone number, are public record, a claim Maricopa County disputes citing risks of identity fraud and infringements on privacy. Lake has filed multiple lawsuits questioning election procedures and continues to appeal her election defeat, with no court including the Arizona Supreme Court finding evidence that the election result was incorrect.
Former Arizona Gubernatorial Candidate Seeks Access to Voter Envelopes
The question of who should be able to access the green envelopes used to return ballots in Arizona elections will be addressed in a trial starting this week. Former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is seeking access to approximately 1.3 million envelopes used by Maricopa County voters in the 2022 election.
Lake, who lost the election to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and has not yet conceded, has filed several lawsuits questioning election procedures. Her latest courtroom battle deals with public records, specifically the green envelopes containing a voter’s signature, address, and, potentially, phone number.
Lake and her attorney, Bryan Blehm, argue these envelopes are public records, but Maricopa County contends they are not. The county claims releasing these envelopes to the public could risk identity fraud and infringe on voter privacy, possibly deterring voter participation.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, who is being sued by Lake and expected to testify during the trial, stated, “Lake wants us to make public the signatures and cellphone numbers of all early voters. It would weaken the security controls on early voting and could lead to voter harassment.”
In a separate case, Richer has accused Lake of defamation, alleging her false claims about election sabotage have led to threats against his family. Lake has countered that Richer is attempting to infringe on her First Amendment rights.
The trial addressing the public records issue is set for this week. Lake has also sought to include a ruling from a judge in Yavapai County that suggests election officials should only use signatures on voter registration forms for verification, but this request has been denied.
Lake initially requested the envelopes in March, arguing they needed to be reviewed for her separate case challenging the election result. Despite her ongoing appeal, none of the four courts, including the Arizona Supreme Court, has found evidence that the election result was incorrect.
Lake has also hinted at a potential 2024 run for U.S. Senate and is considered a possible vice presidential candidate if former President Donald Trump secures the GOP nomination for the White House next year.
After leaving her career as a television news anchor in Phoenix to run for governor, Lake quickly rose to prominence among GOP grassroots supporters who back Trump.
While it’s unclear what legal benefit Lake hopes to gain from obtaining the signatures, she has frequently cited supposed signature mismatches to claim election officials are counting ballots they shouldn’t. Lake told former Trump adviser Steve Bannon that reviewing the signatures would reveal “bogus ballots.”
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