Protesters gather outside of Maricopa County elections office as counting continues

Misty Severi

November 12, 04:08 PM November 12, 04:08 PM

Protesters have gathered outside of the elections office in Maricopa County, Arizona, on Saturday to protest the slow counting of the ballots that were cast during the midterm elections Tuesday.

Approximately three dozen Republican protesters carried signs that referred to gubernatorial candidates Kari Lake (R-AZ) and Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) that read, “Lake won,” “Hobbs is a cheat,” and “count the vote,” according to a local reporter on the scene.

MARICOPA COUNTY OFFICIAL BLASTS KARI LAKE'S 'OFFENSIVE' QUESTIONING OF VOTE COUNT

The protesters are angry at the speed at which votes were being counted, with between 60,000 and 80,000 votes being counted in a day, and the accuracy of the vote tallies. Around 275,000 uncounted ballots are left in Maricopa County, said Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates, meaning the results should be finalized sometime next week.

The Republican National Committee also condemned the slow speed in the county and called for changes in the process.

“This election has exposed deep flaws in Maricopa County’s election administration. Arizona deserves better — transparency, certainty, efficiency — and most importantly, an accurate and prompt announcement of election results that can be accepted by all voters," Republican spokeswoman Harmeet Dhillon said.

Dhillon said: "The RNC and the Republican Party of Arizona demand that around-the-clock shifts of ballot processing be pressed into service until all votes have been counted, accompanied by complete transparency and regular, accurate public updates. We will not hesitate to take legal action if necessary to protect Arizona voters’ right to have their ballots counted."

According to the most recent tally, Hobbs is leading Lake in the gubernatorial race by approximately 32,000 votes, with Hobbs securing 50.7% compared to Lake's 49.3% as of Friday night. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) was declared the victor overnight, defeating opponent Blake Masters (R-AZ) with 51.8% compared to Masters's 46.1%. Despite the declaration, Masters has not conceded, electing to wait until the votes are fully counted instead.

“If, at the end, Senator Kelly has more of them than I do, then I will congratulate him on a hard-fought victory. But voters decide, not the media; let’s count the votes,” Masters tweeted Saturday.

On Tuesday, several tabulation machines in Maricopa County did not function properly, increasing scrutiny over the election process in Arizona's most populous county.

Kari Lake tries to turn kingmaker by backing Blake Masters, other GOP hopefuls in Arizona

Samantha-Jo Roth

October 29, 10:16 AM October 29, 10:16 AM

MESA, ARIZONA — Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake utilized her name recognition to boost other Republicans on the ticket at a Halloween-themed campaign event on Friday night.

Lake, dressed as Rosie the Riveter, spoke for under four minutes before handing off the microphone to Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters. The family-friendly event was advertised on Lake’s website for about a week, but Masters and Abraham Hamadeh, the Arizona GOP candidate for attorney general, were added late Thursday night.

For several months, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) held a lead in the Senate race, but now the race is tightening. The Cook Political Report changed its rating on the Arizona Senate race from “Lean Democrat” to “Toss Up.”

WATCH: INFLATION, ABORTION, AND THE BORDER - ISSUES PUSHING THE ARIZONA MIDTERM ELECTION

Despite Masters's recent rise in the polls, he is garnering less support than Lake. According to a recent Fox 10 InsiderAdvantage poll, Lake leads Hobbs by 11 percentage points in the gubernatorial race.

Lake and Masters have been hitting the trail together recently and promoting one another on social media. As Masters gave his stump speech on Friday night, Lake’s official Twitter account live-tweeted his remarks with video. Masters is garnering less support than Lake, with polls showing he is in a competitive race against Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly.

Masters has not held any other open press events this week. A campaign aide said this is part of his strategy in the final days ahead of the election. In his stump speech Friday, Masters made immigration and the border a centerpiece of his message.

“One of the first executive orders President Biden signed halted the border wall. That’s when I knew it was about to be really, really bad. They gave our southern border up to the Mexican drug cartels,” Masters said to the crowd.

“This is a humanitarian disaster. I don't blame or begrudge any individual immigrant for wanting to come here fleeing some desperate situation, right. It's nothing personal, but you don't get to break into our country. And with the cartels. This is key. This is slavery. This is human trafficking.”

Inflation soared to 13% in Phoenix last month, a record for any U.S. city in data going back 20 years, a fact Masters highlighted.

“Here in Maricopa County, we’re suffering from the worst inflation in the whole country, brought to you by Mark Kelly. Mark Kelly denies responsibility," he said.

The Senate is split 50-50, but Democrats have the majority through Vice President Kamala Harris's tiebreaking vote. Republicans only need one seat in order to take back the majority.

Lake also recently released video advertisements in support of gubernatorial candidates Doug Mastriano of Pennsylvania and Michigan's Tudor Dixon, a rare endorsement for a candidate in the middle of a competitive race.