On Monday, the Arizona election results were certified, with Lake losing to Democratic rival Katie Hobbs by just over 17,000 votes.

In response, Lake filed a 70-page lawsuit against Hobbs and a number of election officials in Maricopa County, which included Phoenix, the Arizona state capital.

It claims that voting irregularities “nullifies” the result, meaning either Lake should be declared the winner or the election refought.

The lawsuit says: “Lake received the greatest number of votes and is entitled to be named the winner.

“Alternately, the election must be redone in Maricopa County to eliminate the effects of maladministration and illegal votes on the vote tallies reported by Maricopa County.”

On Friday, Lake tweeted a photograph of her legal papers, filed with the Arizona Supreme Court, adding: “If the process was illegitimate, then so are the results.”

The Hobbs campaign hit back with a spokesman condemning the “nuisance lawsuit” and insisting the election was “safe, secure and fair.”

Lake has said that voting glitches in Maricopa County were intentional and had a disproportionate impact on Republican voters.

Some tabulation machines malfunctioned, leaving them unable to read ballots. However, a Maricopa County report into the problem noted ballots could still be deposited in a secure ballot box to be counted later, which it called a “decades-long practice” for the county. Alternatively, voters were told they could go to vote at another location.

Speaking to The New York Times, Fields Moseley, Maricopa County communications director, said the county is ready to defend the integrity of its elections in court.

He added: “Maricopa County respects the election-contest process and looks forward to sharing facts about the administration of the 2022 general election and our work to ensure every legal voter had an opportunity to cast their ballot.”

Lawsuits were also filed on Friday by Mark Finchem and Abe Hamadeh, the Republican candidates to become Arizona’s secretary of state and attorney general respectively.

Hamadeh, who is trailing his Democratic opponent by 511 votes in a contest that will undergo a recount, is backed by the Republican National Committee in his legal action.

Lake’s claims of electoral malpractice have been roundly condemned by Hobbs, now Arizona’s governor-elect.

In a statement condemning the Republican’s “sham lawsuit,” Hobbs’ campaign manager tweeted: “Kari Lake needs attention like a fish needs water, and independent experts and local election officials of both parties have made clear that this was a safe, secure, and fair election.

“Arizonans made their voices heard and elected Katie Hobbs as their governor. No nuisance lawsuit will change that, and we remain laser-focused on getting ready to hit the ground running on Day One of Katie Hobbs’ administration next year.”

Lake is a prominent supporter of Donald Trump’s discredited claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him by electoral fraud.

On December 3, Trump caused outrage after claiming, on his Truth Social website, that election fraud would allow the “termination” of rules included in the U.S. constitution.

In response, Harvard constitutional expert Laurence Tribe tweeted: “Constitution-trashing in itself isn’t disqualifying: some leading legal scholars have written academic articles urging the Constitution’s abandonment. What’s disqualifying is trying to do it to seize power for oneself and one’s faction as Trump is doing.”

Newsweek has contacted Kari Lake and Maricopa County for comment.