GOP Pushing For Arizona-Style Election Audits To Spread Nationwide — But State Officials Already Keep Finding ‘No Evidence’ Of Fraud

Topline

A Republican-led Senate committee in Michigan that investigated the state’s 2020 election has determined there is “no evidence of widespread or systematic fraud,” the latest in a series of investigations that have affirmed President Joe Biden’s win in battleground states—even as a growing number of GOP state officials now push for more controversial privately run audits across the country.

Key Facts

Big Number

32%. That’s the percentage of U.S. adults who still believe President Joe Biden won the presidential election because of voter fraud despite a lack of credible evidence, according to a Monmouth poll conducted June 9-14.

Crucial Quote

“The Committee can confidently assert that it has been thorough in examination of numerous allegations of unlawful actions, improper procedures, fraud, vote theft, or any other description which would cause citizens to doubt the integrity of Michigan’s 2020 election results,” the Michigan senators wrote in their report. “Our clear finding is that citizens should be confident the results represent the true results of the ballots cast by the people of Michigan.”

Key Background

Trump and his GOP allies have repeatedly alleged there was widespread voter fraud in the presidential election and continue to push those claims, even as more than 60 GOP lawsuits challenging the election results failed in court and audits repeatedly confirmed the accuracy of the vote count. Federal and state officials including former U.S. Attorney General William Barr have said there was not widespread fraud in the election, and a statistical analysis of battleground states’ results has also found “no evidence of fraud, manipulation, or uncorrected error.” The voter fraud claims have taken hold on the right despite the lack of evidence, however, spurring a new wave of controversial state-level voting restrictions in the name of “election security.” Republicans have also now latched on to a partisan and privately funded election audit taking place in Maricopa County, Arizona, which the Biden Administration has said could potentially violate federal law by taking ballots out of election workers’ control. The audit will not change the state’s certified election results, but critics warn the partisan recount could further undermine public trust in the election results.

What To Watch For

Audits like the one underway in Arizona—which is now nearing an end—could soon spread nationwide, as lawmakers from such states as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah have traveled to observe the audit and expressed interest in potentially launching their own probes. “They are definitely writing the playbook here in Arizona to bring this type of, I don't want to call it an audit, but to other states,” Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, told NBC News. “And it's dangerous.” Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announced a new investigation into the state’s election results in May and Republicans are pushing forward with an effort to examine ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, and other efforts could potentially launch in other battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Further Reading

GOP investigation finds no Michigan vote fraud, deems many claims ‘ludicrous’ (Bridge MI)

Voting Machines In Phoenix Weren’t Rigged, Audit Finds (Forbes)

Nevada secretary of state finds no 'evidentiary support' for GOP election fraud claims (CNN)

Wisconsin Republican Hires Ex-Cops To Investigate Election As Arizona Audit Sparks New Probes Nationwide (Forbes)

‘No Evidence’ Of Election Fraud In Battleground States, Statistical Analysis Finds As Trump Continues False Claims (Forbes)

80% Of Americans Support Voter ID Rules—But Fewer Worried About Fraud, Poll Finds (Forbes)