Beki Quintero, Eric Giffin, and Mike Polak, are challenging the incumbents in what has been an extraordinary race.
Despite pleas from the candidates, members of the public, and Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller, County officials are refusing oversight of the election process.
On Monday, Richard Hernandez, the head of the Recall Committee made one last request of the Secretary of State Ken Bennett, who is busy running what is expected to be an unsuccessful bid for governor, and County officials to allow independent monitors at all three ballot collection and processing sites.
The Sunnyside community has been disappointed in Bennett’s refusal to provide oversight of the process and refusal to recognize the concerns surrounding the ballot collection planned for Apollo Middle School.
According to Bennett’s spokesman Matt Roberts, “state statute does not provide for observers in nonpartisan elections and election officials are required to follow the rules laid out in the Elections Procedure Manual.” Roberts says that nonpartisan races such as school board and bond elections do not require oversight. When asked if Bennett had worked during his tenure to fill the loophole which allows key elections to go unmonitored, Roberts responded, “I don’t recall a legislative effort to change the law.”
Hernandez told Bennett in an email on Monday, “I believe your office has failed me my community and all voters in Arizona by not demanding fair elections.”
As of Monday, the total of ballot received was 3979. This is around 16% of eligible voters.
Residents of the community have fought a hard battle against corrupt cronies, a County that avoids transparency at all costs, and a Secretary of State that seems uninterested in protecting the voting rights of citizens.
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