Kari Lake was rejected access to analyze mail-in ballot signatures from the 2022 November general election.
Lake was particularly looking at Maricopa County ballots, in hopes to find answers on their legitimacy.
County Recorder Stephen Richer rejected Lake, referring to a “privacy interest” on behalf of Arizona voters. (Trending: Kari Lake Blasts ‘Woke’ NFL)
Richer recently posted, “I believe these envelopes are not public record according to state statute. And I believe that making them public would have a chilling effect on voting, would weaken the security controls on early voting, and would open the door to voter harassment.”
Lake made a post in response to Richer, saying, “Professional Victim @stephen_richer is lying again. We’re not asking these signatures to be made public. We are asking to review them to assess whether they are legitimate or not. We have a STRONG reason to believe they’re not. Clearly, so does Stephen.”
Professional Victim @stephen_richer is lying again.
We're not asking these signatures to be made public.
We are asking to review them to assess whether they are legitimate or not.
We have a STRONG reason to believe they're not.
Clearly, so does Stephen. pic.twitter.com/0KxW1a1TkR
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) September 20, 2023
Lake’s attorney Bryan Blehm made the argument in court that signatures are no private information, but rather found commonly on various public records.
“Signatures … tell people, ‘This is who I am. I attest to that.’ And that’s exactly, your honor, what people do when they sign these ballot affidavit envelopes,” Blehm stated. (Trending: 22 Chilling Facts About Biden’s Impeachment)
“Signatures are not in and of themselves protected whether they be voters or whether they be commercial transactions,” Blehm added.
Watch! @KariLake Attorney @BlehmLawAZ's opening statement at today's trial.
"Signatures have never really been anything special. And that's why we so routinely, so commonly, so every day, your honor, deposit them into the stream of commerce where they wind up on the County… pic.twitter.com/8AIw50GkDU
— Kari Lake War Room (@KariLakeWarRoom) September 21, 2023
Lake took action after Arizona court ruled that Maricopa officials hadn’t properly handled the signature verification process.
Judge John Napper of the Yavapai Vounty Superior Court felt the “statute is clear and unambiguous,” which requires “the recorder to review the voter’s registration card” rather than other forms of a voter’s signature.
When asked about the ruling, Lake stated, “Maricopa County’s complete abandonment of signature verification standards has allowed for the integrity of our elections to be washed away.” (Trending: Proof That Joe Biden Took Bribes)
“Election laws aren’t suggestions or guidelines, they’re the law. I am thankful the court has reminded Secretary of State [Adrian] Fontes and Recorder Richer of that fact,” she added.
“Following this ruling, I have the utmost confidence that we will win our lawsuit to review the early ballot signatures later this month,” Lake went on.
While on Real America’s Voice, Lake said, “Maricopa County is throwing a fit. They’re trying to look like we’re going to put everyone’s personal information out and that these are not for public consumption, and they frankly are.”
“We’re going to ask a judge to take a look at this and to grant us the ability to see those green envelopes that people mail their ballots back in, and we’re going to prove that mail-in ballots are not safe, are not secure, that many don’t have signatures, that many of those signatures do not match.”
