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Maricopa County election scanner replaced for $70,000 after unauthorized removal
Newly obtained security footage shows an employee removing an election scanner and appearing to handle provisional ballot envelopes in a restricted early voting area.
PHOENIX - Newly obtained video and an internal human resources investigation report are raising questions about the handling of election equipment at a Maricopa County election facility just weeks before early voting in the primary.
Timeline:
The materials show that shortly after 1:30 p.m. on March 12, surveillance video captured Bryan Colby of the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office and another employee moving a scanner out of the county’s Tabulation and Election Center.
Five minutes later, Colby is seen inside a secured early voting area, where an internal investigation says he appeared to handle provisional ballot affidavit envelopes.
At 1:45 p.m., the scanner was loaded onto a gray truck. By 2 p.m., it had been taken to the county administration building, where election officials ultimately instructed Recorder staff to return it, saying it belonged to the Elections Department.
What they're saying:
Former Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell criticized the handling of the equipment, saying the scanner is used to process early and provisional ballots before tabulation.
"You've lost a chain of custody, if there needs to be one," Purcell said. "You don't know what has happened to that machine. And I'm not saying that anything has, but you don't know that."
Bryan Colby of the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office and another employee move a scanner out of the county’s Tabulation and Election Center.
Purcell also questioned why the equipment was removed from a secure facility at all.
"I can’t imagine any machine being taken out of a secure building and being left unsecure," Purcell said.
‘Lost confidence’
In a statement released Thursday, Maricopa County Recorder Jusin Heap argues the scanners belong to the Recorder’s Office.
However, the HR investigation concluded the scanners belonged to the Elections Department, and records show Colby was informed of that determination days before the equipment was removed.
The Recorder’s Office did not participate in the investigation, according to records. The scanner was later taken offline and subjected to a forensic review to determine whether it could safely be used in future elections.
In Thursday's statement, Heap said he has "lost confidence" in the board and criticized what he called efforts that threaten county employees who cannot defend themselves. He also accused the Board of weaponizing the government against election workers, called their claims "meritless", and added the Board waited months to release the information.
Dig deeper:
County supervisors say the scanner seen in the video was replaced at a cost of $70,000.
What's next:
A special prosecutor has been appointed to determine whether any criminal wrongdoing occurred.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from newly obtained security video, a human resources investigation report and interviews with current and former elections officials.