Arizona

EXCLUSIVE: Arizona Election Worker Retails Voter Fraud Investigation

Published

2 years ago

June 12, 2022

EXCLUSIVE: Arizona Election Worker Retails Voter Fraud Investigation

The employee says the continuing investigation is focusing on US non-profits she believes are ‘political advocacy teams’

In an unique interview given to The Epoch Occasions, the recorder on the Yuma County Sherrif’s Workplace provided extra insights into the dangers of fraudulent registration kinds main as much as the 2022 Major Election and the efforts she and her crew are engaged on to enhance the method.

“Our major is Aug. 2. We’ve got acquired registration kinds which might be fraudulently accomplished,” Yuma County recorder Robyn Stallworth Pouquette, who offers oversight into the county’s voter registration and early voting, advised The Epoch Occasions in an interview on June 7. “It’s been a prevalent downside in Yuma County, and it’s very unlucky.”

Pouquette’s allegations come along with different witness studies and allegations of voting fraud which might be the topic of 16 open investigations on the sheriff’s workplace.

The noticed “sample of fraudulent voter registration kinds,” in response to a Could 11 assertion made by the sheriff’s workplace, contains alleged impersonation fraud, false registrations, duplicate voting, and fraudulent use of absentee ballots.

Whereas Pouquette couldn’t present any names as a result of the investigation is ongoing, she confirmed to The Epoch Occasions that most of the anomalous instances pertain to non-profits working on a nationwide scale, which she believes to be “political advocacy teams.”

Learn Extra

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To Guarantee Belief in 2024 Election, Re-Register All Voters After Midterms, Says Fraud-Tracker

“We’re extraordinarily inspired that the Yuma County Sheriff’s Workplace and Recorder’s Workplace are actually working collectively to analyze people concerned within the subversion of elections,” Catherine Engelbrecht, founding father of election integrity group True The Vote, advised The Epoch Occasions in an announcement in Could. “We’ve spent concentrated time in Yuma County and have supplied vital data to each state and federal authorities. What has been taking place in Yuma County is going on throughout the nation. The focusing on of weak communities and voter abuse have to be stopped.”

“It is vitally troublesome to determine who’s submitting these fraudulent kinds. However I’m conscious of actions of third-party teams and I shared that data with the sheriff’s workplace,” Pouquette stated of what she’s witnessed.

Uncommon Indicators

Pouquette stated that whereas third-party organizations who solicit voter registrations serve an essential position in helping voters, they’re additionally a degree of vulnerability within the election course of if the ballots they assist voters submit are fraudulent—because of intentional or unintentional misrepresentation of a voter’s needs.

“I consider it’s a vulnerability of the system, within the sense that fraudulent voter registrations can disrupt the respectable energetic registration of an eligible voter,” she stated. “It’s a very disruptive course of for the workplace once we needs to be specializing in audits and ensuring that we’re auditing our information previous to the distribution of ballots.”

“I’m very captivated with it as a result of there isn’t a regulation that precludes voter registration actions [by] third-party teams,” Pouquette stated. “I really feel that voter registration solicitors needs to be held accountable to the next customary.”

After these third-party organizations drop the voter registration kinds they’ve collected on the recorder’s workplace, Pouquette and her crew would run them via a statewide database to cross-check the figuring out data on every type to the voter.

Nevertheless, Pouquette stated she’s observed uncommon indicators with a number of the kinds she’s acquired.

“I might instantly see that there have been particular person names in these kinds that had been those who I knew had been already registered. However they had been using actual folks’s names with faux addresses and pretend dates of beginning,” she stated. “One in every of them was our pediatrician. One in every of them was a neighborhood lawyer who I had been an acquaintance of and has handed away for a while. One was a minor that I consider was across the age of 14 … So it simply grew to become very clear that there was an issue.

“After which, we’re getting 5, six registration kinds for a similar individual. As you possibly can think about, that’s the place we really feel that there’s an intentional effort to disrupt the system and determine vulnerabilities,” Pouquette added.

Pouquette stated they’ve observed over 100 such anomalies within the registration course of main as much as the 2022 primaries and have despatched letters to every of the addresses indicated on the registration kinds as required by regulation.

“I merely discover it unlucky that it’s a requirement as a result of we all know that we’re sending them to those who now we have a powerful perception to be nonexistent,” she stated. “We needs to be engaged on credible, actual registrations that now we have in our county, versus spending any time or sources—which is definitely vital time and sources—on this sort of exercise.”

New Legislation Proposed

Pouquette added that after she observed a sample of fraudulent registration in 2016, she and her crew started to work with the Arizona legislature to develop new legal guidelines to “outline parameters for regulation of voter registration solicitation.” Nevertheless, she stated the efforts have been largely unsuccessful.

She and her crew, via the Flinn-Brown Fellowship, put collectively provisions that Arizona Senate Republicans included in a invoice launched in February 2022, SB1629, which might maintain third-party registration solicitors accountable.

“[The bill] required that third-party registration solicitors flip within the kinds inside 5 days in order that there’s a timeframe on accountability and any fraudulent type be subjected to a class-6 felony,” Pouquette stated. “And as you possibly can think about, it was very controversial.”

The invoice additionally requires anybody amassing greater than 25 voter registration kinds to determine themselves with the Secretary of State’s workplace so the recorder’s workplace would have the flexibility to contact them for any points with the kinds they turned in. The invoice failed its third studying in March and is ready to be reconsidered for an additional studying within the Senate.

“We don’t wish to diminish the work that third-party teams do … to solicit voter registration. I consider that that’s essential and we must always have teams which might be in a position to do this. I simply merely really feel that we must always place accountability measures that … professionalize the method to supply that belief to the neighborhood. I merely felt that it was a step in the correct path for accountability,” she stated of the invoice.

“And I do consider that, once more, the work that’s put in—to make each single effort to not permit these [fraudulent] registrations to show into ballots—is difficult and time-consuming, very, very straining on sources,” she added. “And these are the workers and election officers that ought to diligently be engaged on administering a safe election and never coping with felony exercise like that.”

‘A Few Unhealthy Actors’

Pouquette hoped to make clear that not all third-party teams that register voters are disruptive to the election course of.

“So even just a few unhealthy actors, as you possibly can think about, contribute such a adverse gentle on the method total, which impacts my workplace and the general public belief within the electoral course of … the opposite third-party teams which might be making vital efforts to have interaction with voters and help in, you realize, the democratic course of.”

“I at all times inform folks they need to be very proud to vote in Arizona, whatever the negativity swirling round elections, as a result of we work actually exhausting. So I invite folks in to see the method right here from their floor ground to essentially perceive what we do to confirm and over confirm and confirm third time and audit. These are simply common practices taking place every day in the course of the cycle right here,” Pouquette stated.

“I simply actually really feel that that will get neglected; you realize, how daring election officers are, how courageous they’re, and doing this sort of work each single day, regardless of the crucial response.”

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Gary Bai is a reporter for Epoch Occasions Canada, masking China and U.S. information.

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Arizona

How to watch Arizona State football vs. UCF: TV channel, live stream, prediction

Published

19 mins ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

How to watch Arizona State football vs. UCF: TV channel, live stream, prediction

The Arizona State football team is 5-0 at home this season.

But they have yet to play in front of a crowd like the one expected at Mountain America Stadium on Saturday afternoon vs. BYU.

“We’ve already sold out [for the BYU game],” Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham said during his Monday press conference. “There’s like a thousand person wait line for tickets. For The Valley to be able to experience what they get to experience, which is an unbelievable college football environment on Saturday, is what we need to get people bought back into here. That there’s nothing that can replicate it. We haven’t had one like this yet since I’ve been here.”

In the biggest game for Arizona State (8-2) in more than a decade, they are 3.5-point favorites over BYU (9-1). The winner will have a great shot at a berth in the Big 12 football championship game. The loser will be all but eliminated.

Quarterback play will be a huge factor on Saturday. Over the last three weeks Arizona State redshirt freshman QB Sam Leavitt has arguably been the best quarterback in the nation. In wins over Oklahoma State, UCF and Kansas State, Leavitt completed 65% of his passes for 740 yards and 9 touchdowns, with no interceptions. He also rushed for 69 yards.

BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff, a senior, has had a big season, throwing for 2,283 yards and 19 touchdowns, and rushing for 312 yards and 4 TDs. But he has struggled in the passing game the last two weeks. He completed just 45.5% of his passes and didn’t throw a TD pass in BYU’s 22-21 road win over rival Utah. In last week’s 17-13 home loss to Kansas he passed for just 192 yards, with one TD and one interception.

Which QB will rise to the occasion on Saturday? Stay tuned. Here are the details on how to watch and follow Arizona State’s Big 12 showdown vs. BYU on Saturday:

Arizona State vs. BYU TV Channel, Live Stream, Betting Odds

Who: Arizona State (8-2, 5-2) vs. BYU (9-1, 6-1) in a Big 12 football game

When: 1:30 p.m. MST | Saturday, November 23

Where: Mountain America Stadium | Tempe, Arizona

Live Stream: Stream Arizona State-BYU live on fuboTV (Start your free trial)

TV Channel: ESPN

Our Prediction: Arizona State 30, BYU 27

Betting Odds: Arizona State is favored by 3.5 points per FanDuel Sportsbook

Live Updates, Highlights: Follow the game on Arizona State On SI for live updates and big-play highlights throughout Saturday’s matchup

More Arizona State & Big 12 Analysis

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Arizona

Flagg quiets Arizona crowd as Duke aces road test

Published

8 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Flagg quiets Arizona crowd as Duke aces road test

Myron Medcalf, ESPN Staff WriterNov 23, 2024, 02:28 AM ET
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- Covers college basketball
- Joined ESPN.com in 2011
- Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

TUCSON, Ariz. — Seconds after No. 12 Duke’s players ran onto the court for pregame introductions at the McKale Center on Friday night, someone in the crowd hurled a beer can in their direction.

That moment did not define the largely positive and vibrant atmosphere at the arena, where Cooper Flagg’s 24-point effort led the Blue Devils to a 69-55 win over No. 17 Arizona.

But throughout the game, building security and local police gathered near Duke’s tunnel and the team’s family and friends section because of concerns that additional objects would be thrown, sources told ESPN. Those same security and police personnel also entered the Arizona student section at halftime to address at least one fan’s behavior.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer said he didn’t notice the off-court chaos, a metaphor for the way his team responded in its first true road game of the season.

“I didn’t even see that,” Scheyer said afterward about the beer-can incident. “First of all, I thought the environment and atmosphere was top notch. I mean, people were respectful. I thought there was just a big-time college basketball crowd, but at the end of the day, the crowd doesn’t control how you defend, how you sprint back on defense, how you take care of the ball.”

More than 14,000-plus gathered for the highly anticipated matchup involving a pair of teams that hadn’t met in Tucson since the 1980s. The notable personalities in the crowd gave the game a prime-time vibe. Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, and his teammates faced an Arizona squad led by Caleb Love, a preseason All-American.

Mike Bibby and Gilbert Arenas, a pair of former NBA stars who anchored some of Arizona’s greatest teams, sat in the front row. Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal found his seat next to theirs early in the game, and Beal’s teammates Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen — who starred on Duke’s 2014-15 national title team — sat behind the Blue Devils’ bench.

Bryce James, son of LeBron James and a prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, also attended the matchup with his mother, Savannah James.

Flagg delivered his best performance this season in another high-profile matchup, more than a week after he committed multiple turnovers in the final seconds of a loss to Kentucky in the Champions Classic in Atlanta. Arizona seemed to corral him in the first half, but Flagg dominated after the break, scoring 16 points.

Flagg, who shot 10-of-22 from the field, also finished with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal.

“He is tall, athletic and he can finish over a lot of bodies,” Arizona’s Jaden Bradley, who led his team with 18 points, said of Flagg. “He’s just super athletic. I feel like we did a good job of containing him in the first half. I think we just went away from the game plan and then didn’t talk, didn’t communicate as a group and he found openings in our defense. He provides mismatch problems for them. We get a smaller guard on him, he can take us inside and use his strength, his height advantage. We get a bigger guy on him, he can play quick, play fast and be able to shoot over the top or get by him.”

As his team entered halftime, Scheyer said, “We’ve been here before,” referencing Duke’s halftime lead over Kentucky in the Champions Classic loss. But Duke avoided a similar fate Friday when Flagg, Tyrese Proctor (8 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds) and Kon Knueppel (13 points, 3-for-6 on 3-pointers) wouldn’t yield.

“It was a high-level college basketball game,” Flagg said. “It was really physical, and they’re a very physical team. So I guess I found my footing [in the second half].”

Arizona entered the game ranked top five in adjusted tempo on KenPom and the Wildcats were also the top offensive rebounding team in the country. But against the Blue Devils, Arizona scored only six points on fast breaks and grabbed only six offensive rebounds.

After the game, the fears of security and police personnel were not realized. There were no further incidents, and Duke’s players, staff, family members and friends all safely exited the building without issue.

The Blue Devils, who next face No. 1 Kansas in Las Vegas on Tuesday, had weathered storms on and off the court in their first true road test. Scheyer said he was impressed by his team’s resilience in a hostile environment, especially as Arizona tried to close the gap late.

“I thought there were a couple of stretches at the beginning of the second half late when I think it got cut to eight points … but to have the maturity to answer and then come back on defense, I think that’s a credit to these guys,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of game situations this year and in the preseason [in practice], but it’s really the maturity by them.”

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Arizona

By the Numbers: Seahawks vs. Cardinals

Published

16 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

The Seahawks and Cardinals are set to do battle at Lumen Field in Seattle on Sunday. This will be the first of two meetings over a three-week span between the NFC West rivals.

What numbers and themes are relevant in this game between frequent divisional opponents?

The Seahawks have won five straight games against the Arizona Cardinals. They last lost to Arizona on November 21, 2021, in Seattle. The Seahawks held the Cardinals to just 30 total points in the teams’ two matchups last year.

That is Kyler Murray’s record as a starter against the Seahawks. He hasn’t beaten Seattle since October 2020. That includes being sacked 12 times over the last three games. The Seahawks will need to continue to pressure Murray to keep him contained. Otherwise, he can hurt them with his legs or downfield in the passing game.

That is how many points per game the Seahawks are allowing in their last two games as a defense. The defense has stepped it up after an abysmal showing against the Buffalo Bills. The Cardinals have the 13th-ranked scoring offense and 12th-ranked total offense in the NFL. If Seattle can ride this momentum on defense, they should be able to beat the Cardinals a sixth straight time.

Yards per rushing attempt by the Cardinals. That is the second-best in all the NFL. The running back tandem of James Conner and Trey Benson, alongside the lethal legs of quarterback Kyler Murray, make the Cardinals one of the most dynamic running teams in all of football. The Seahawks need to be disciplined in their run defense. If they are caught in the wrong gaps or miss tackles, the Cardinals could control the game on the ground.

Arizona’s pass rush win rate is next to last in the NFL. One of their top pass rushers has been former Seahawks first-round pick L.J. Collier. Dante Stills leads the team with 3.5 sacks. They rank 23rd in sacks as a team. Seattle’s offensive line needs to take advantage of not facing a stellar pass rush and give Geno Smith ample time to take shots downfield.

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman L.J. Collier (91) attempts to block a pass by Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) on Sept. 15, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yards receiving for running back James Conner against the Jets. He is a big play threat in the passing game as well as on the ground. The defense will need to be aware of Conner’s whereabouts at all times. They cannot afford to let Conner create big plays in the passing game, as he did against the Jets two weeks ago.

The Seahawks need to set a goal of getting at least 23 first downs. The Cardinals are 0-4 when they allow their opponents to get at least 23 first downs and 6-0 when they hold teams under 23. The Seahawks have only reached 23 first downs once. Incredibly, they got 38 first downs in their loss to the Lions. Racking up first downs is a positive result of having an offense in sync and sustaining drives. The longer Seattle can sustain drives, the less chances Kyler Murray and Arizona’s offense will have to make impact plays.

The Seahawks’ record over their six home games this season. This is a shocking development after the Seahawks enjoyed one of the best home-field advantages in all of the NFL for the better part of a decade. This includes having lost four straight. Their last win at home came on September 22 against the Dolphins. This game is a big opportunity to flip the script at home after a tough stretch.

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