Arizona Governor Won’t Accept Election Results Until All Lawsuits Settled

President Donald Trump meets with Arizona's Governor Doug Ducey in the Oval Office, in Washington, on Aug. 5, 2020. Doug Mills/The New York Times via Getty Images

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said he'll accept the outcome of the presidential race when all court cases have been settled, as the Trump campaign and state Republican Party filed lawsuits in Maricopa County in a bid to block officials from certifying the results over allegations of voter irregularities and improprieties.

“There are legal claims that are being challenged in court, and everybody on the ballot has certain access rights and remedies, and if they want to push that, they are able. Once those are adjudicated and the process plays out, I will accept the results of the election,” the Republican governor said at a news conference on Nov. 18.

It was his first public press briefing since the Nov. 3 election.

“We can trust our elections here in Arizona,” Ducey said, but “there are questions, and those questions should be answered.”

Ducey has declined to call a winner for the election. The governor noted that he’s heard about voting issues in the state but hasn’t personally seen any evidence.

State law gives all Arizona counties until Nov. 23 to certify the results of the election. Then the counties are to send in their results to the secretary of state’s office, which then has another 10 days to certify the statewide results.

While several news outlets have described Biden as the president-elect and declared him the winner, The Epoch Times has not, pending the outcome of lawsuits and other processes needed to complete the election. The Electoral College votes next month, and Congress will hold its joint session to formally count electoral votes and declare official election results in early January.

According to the unofficial vote count, Biden is ahead of Trump by about 11,000 votes in Arizona.

Earlier this week, the Arizona GOP moved to halt county officials in the state to delay certifying their results.

“The party is pushing for not only the county supervisors but everyone responsible for certifying and canvassing the election to make sure that all questions are answered so that voters will have confidence in the results of the election,” said Zach Henry, a spokesman for the Arizona Republican Party, The Associated Press reported.

The party also filed a lawsuit to request a hand count of a sampling of ballots in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix. They also are seeking a court order prohibiting the county from certifying results until that case is decided.

Ballots are counted at the Maricopa County Election Department after the U.S. presidential election in Phoenix on Nov. 5, 2020. Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images

“This case is about delay—not the adjudication of good faith claims,” lawyers for Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said in response, AP reported.

Hobbs, a Democrat, also claimed on Nov. 17 that she is receiving threats of violence following the election, alleging that Trump and other GOP members are spreading misinformation. Hobbs didn’t provide evidence for her claims of violence.

“Their words and actions have consequences,” Hobbs said. “Now I am calling on other leaders in this state, including the governor whose deafening silence has contributed to the growing unrest, to stand up for the truth.”

Ducey said in his news conference that the alleged threats are “completely unacceptable.”

In Michigan, Wayne County Board of Canvassers Chairwoman Monica Palmer and board member William Hartmann signed sworn affidavits on Nov. 18 saying they only voted to certify election results this week because they were told that a full audit of the election would occur. But when they learned of no audit, they rescinded their votes to certify the results.

Both Palmer and Hartmann said they were threatened. The two were berated and accused of racism after they voted against certifying the results, said Palmer, adding that the abuse went so far as to have “threatened me and members of my family.”

Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report.