Democrat Katie Hobbs was sworn in earlier this week as the state’s fifth female governor. She won out by more than 17,000 votes, although Lake has refused to concede and legally challenged the results.
Yet, the November election still remains on the minds of many. On Friday afternoon, officials in Maricopa County called for a probe into why some printers on Election Day had difficulty reading ballots.
Former Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ruth McGregor has reportedly agreed to head the investigation and will oversee a group of independent experts. In a joint statement, Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates and Vice Chairman Clint Hickman said the board “has always been committed to continuous improvement.”
“When things don’t work, we find out why,” they said in the statement, which was posted via tweet.
The statement added that investigators will seek to answer why printers had problems reading certain ballots during the General Election in November, even though they were successful when using the same settings during August’s primary.
The officials added: “Our voters deserve nothing less. Maricopa County appreciates Justice McGregor’s willingness to serve in this role. We look forward to her findings.”
Lake is a fierce ally of former President Donald Trump, who has promoted claims that widespread voter fraud cost him the White House during his bid for reelection in 2020. Still, such proclamations have so far been unsuccessful in overturning results in both that election and in the more recent Arizona governor’s race.
Despite Lake’s insistence that she’s her state’s rightful leader, GOP officials and experts argue there’s only a small chance that she’ll get her wish of changing the outcome.
The November printer issues in Maricopa County caused long wait times as people queued to cast their votes, according to 12News KPNX in Phoenix. Some were reportedly told to insert their ballot “in a special box so that they could be transported and tabulated at another voting center.”
Although officials initially said a November 7 test of the printers indicated that they didn’t have problems, certain poll workers reported the opposite during the following day’s election, per 12News.
Lake, meanwhile, has cited Maricopa County’s equipment issues to help bolster the legal challenge to her loss. However, a superior court judge from that county dismissed the challenge last month.
Although it seems likely that Lake’s loss will be permanently reaffirmed, the former TV anchor has still taken to calling herself Arizona’s “duly elected” governor.
Newsweek reached out to a Lake representative for comment.
