Republican Arizona AG candidate Abe Hamadeh files another election lawsuit

PHOENIX — Republican Arizona Attorney General candidate Abe Hamadeh filed another election lawsuit Friday, asking for the recount of his race to be slowed and for voters who didn’t have their provisional ballots counted to have another opportunity.

The suit, filed in the Superior Court for Mohave County, also asks for inspection of ballots that did not have a vote for attorney general.

Hamadeh lost to Democrat Kris Mayes by 510 votes in the Nov. 8 election. An automatic hand count is underway due to the margin of the race.

“The November 8, 2022 general election was afflicted with certain errors and inaccuracies in the management of some polling place operations and in the processing and tabulation of some ballots,” the lawsuit says.

“The cumulative effect of these mistakes is material to the race for Arizona attorney general.”

The suit outlines problems in Maricopa County on Election Day, notably with ballot printers that produced about 17,000 ballots that could not be tabulated on site and had to be counted at the elections department headquarters.

Lines backed up at some polling places, fueling Republican suspicions that some supporters were unable to cast a ballot, though there’s no evidence it affected the outcome.

County officials say everyone was able to vote and all legal ballots were counted.

Arizona’s top officials certified the midterm election results Monday, opening a five-day window for formal election challenges.

Hamadeh had previously filed a similar lawsuit, but it was thrown out since the election had yet to be certified.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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