Protest outside Maricopa County tabulation center remained peaceful, Sheriff Penzone says
On Saturday, Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone held a security update in response to protestors gathering outside the county’s elections center.
About 50 protesters gathered outside the fence around Maricopa County’s election tabulation center in downtown Phoenix at midday Saturday to draw attention to their concerns about the slow pace of the vote count. Protracted counts are the norm in Arizona, where a record number of people returned mail ballots on Election Day.
A few protesters wore ballistic vests or carried handguns as a number of county sheriff’s deputies nearby guarded the complex.
Penzone said the protestors remained peaceful.
“Thus far into it, I just want to say thank you. I think that the community has responded in a very positive way. I think those folks who came out today were law abiding, and they had their chance to express their First Amendment. We respected that,” he said.
The problem with the tabulator machines was resolved on Election Day, and county elections officials have stated all ballots will be counted.
Some protesters carried American flags, campaign signs for Lake or signs with slogans such as “Kari Lake won,” “count the votes” and “Hobbs is a cheat.”
Penzone said he pulled deputies from around the county and from other assignments to protect the ballots and the people counting them. Noting the protest was prompted by a tweet from a state lawmaker, Penzone urged elected officials not to summon demonstrators to the elections building.
Aaron Kotzbauer, a 52-year-old Republican from Surprise who voted for Lake and the other GOP candidates, said he protested at the elections office after Trump lost in 2020 and came again Saturday to “see if we could get some sunshine to disinfect the Maricopa County election center.”
