Former President Donald Trump, citing a "criminal voting operation," demanded that fellow Republican Kari Lake be "installed" as Arizona's governor after irregularities on election day threw the race into question.
Lake lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs, who as secretary of state, oversaw her race, by 17,116 votes ( 0.6%) of more than 2.5 million cast with 99% of votes counted. For a recount to occur, the difference must be 0.5% or less, according to state law. Lake has refused to concede.
"Massive numbers of 'BROKEN' voting machines in Republican Districts on Election Day. Mechanics sent in to 'FIX' them made them worse. Kari had to be taken to a Democrat area, which was working perfectly, to vote," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account.
"Her opponent ran the Election. This is yet another criminal voting operation - SO OBVIOUS. Kari Lake should be installed Governor of Arizona. This is almost as bad as the 2020 Presidential Election, which the Unselect Committee refuses to touch because they know it was Fraudulent!"
Trump did not explain how Lake could be installed as governor after losing the race.
On election day, Maricopa County had issues with the configuration of ballot-on-demand printers, resulting in tabulators unable to read some ballots and long lines at polling precincts. Lake's campaign filed a lawsuit this week demanding the release of documents regarding the county's process for counting votes before, on and after Election Day.
Maricopa County certified its election results Monday, a deadline set by state law. Cochise County voted Monday to postpone certification to hear concerns over the certification of ballot tabulators, though election officials have said the equipment was properly approved. The state has said it would sue Cochise County if it missed the deadline. Lake won the county with 58.9% of the vote.
"We cannot allow an election like this to stand," Lake told Newsmax last week. "What they did on Election Day to punish Election Day voters is outrageous, and we've learned that 85% of those working the polls that day said they're not at all confident in the election, in the way it was run. There were three-hour lines; 62% of the equipment and the polling places was in-operational or not fully functioning."
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