Gov. Doug Ducey Defends Arizona Election Results: ‘Problems that Exist in Other States Simply Don’t Apply Here’

Election 2020 Arizona
Ross D. Franklin/AP Photo
Hannah Knudsen

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) defended his state’s election procedures as well as his decision to certify the results amid criticisms from President Trump, contending that “the problems that exist in other states simply don’t apply” in Arizona.

The Republican governor, who certified the state’s election results on Monday, formally giving the state’s 11 electoral votes to Joe Biden (D), defended the integrity of the election in the Grand Canyon State in a series of tweets Monday evening.

“I’ve been pretty outspoken about Arizona’s election system, and bragged about it quite a bit, including in the Oval Office. And for good reason,” he began, explaining that the state has “some of the strongest election laws in the country,” including ID at the polls, prohibitions on ballot harvesting, and clear deadlines:

He said:

We’ve been doing early voting since 1992. Arizona didn’t explore or experiment this year. We didn’t cancel election day voting as some pushed for — we weren’t going to disenfranchise any voter. In Arizona, we have some of the strongest election laws in the country, laws that prioritize accountability and clearly lay out procedures for conducting, canvassing, and even contesting the results of an election. We’ve got ID at the polls. We review EVERY signature (every single one) on early ballots — by hand — unlike other states that use computers. Prohibitions on ballot harvesting. Bipartisan poll observers. Clear deadlines, including no ballots allowed after Election Day. The problems that exist in other states simply don’t apply here. I’ve also said all along, I’m going to follow the law. So here’s what the law says…It requires the Secretary of State, in the presence of the Governor and the Attorney General, to canvass the election on the fourth Monday following the general election. That was today. This can ONLY be delayed if counties DECLINE to certify their results. ALL 15 counties in Arizona — counties run by both parties — certified their results. The canvass of the election triggers a 5-day window for any elector to bring a credible challenge to the election results in court. If you want to contest the results, now is the time. Bring your challenges. That’s the law. I’ve sworn an oath to uphold it, and I take my responsibility seriously.

Ducey certified the state’s election results on Monday, the same day members of the Arizona legislature held a hearing on election integrity, which Trump campaign lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis attended. Trump called into the hearing, telling the audience that Democrats played “games like nobody as ever seen before.”

“This is the first time that Republicans or the first time anyone has fought back,” he said while criticizing the governor for certifying the state’s election results amid mounting concerns of fraud and error.

“On top of it, you have a governor named Ducey,” Trump said, prompting boos from the audience. “He just rushed to sign certificates. … What’s that all about?”

“He didn’t have to sign it. I say, why would he sign when you have these incredible hearings going on that’s showing such corruption and such horrible fraud?” the president asked.

“You have to figure out what that’s all about with Ducey. He couldn’t go fast enough,” the president said, assuring that they are “not going to forget what Ducey just did.”

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D), who once referred to the president’s base as “neo-Nazis,” also defended Ducey’s decision to certify the results.

“Like I’ve said from the beginning: We ran this election according to Arizona law, despite what the conspiracy theorists would tell you,” Hobbs said, adding that the governor “did his job”:

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