Arizona Secretary of State’s Office urges investigation of 2 Cochise County supervisors

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office has sent a memo to the state Attorney General and the Cochise County Attorney urging them to investigate the actions of two members of that county’s Board of Supervisors for “potential violations of Arizona law.”

The memo, signed by State Elections Director Kori Lorick, accuses Cochise County Board of Supervisors Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd of knowingly refusing to meet the Nov. 28 deadline to canvass the county’s 2022 General Election.

The board voted 2-0 Thursday, Dec. 1, to approve the election results after Pima County Superior Court Judge Casey McGinley ordered the board members to submit their election results. Democrat Chairman Ann English and Republican Vice-Chairman Peggy Judd approved the vote, but Republican Supervisor Tom Crosby was absent from the meeting.

Crosby and Judd initially tabled the election canvass during a Nov. 18 public meeting, then chose not to canvass the election on Nov. 28. Both times the supervisors cited uncertainty about election equipment as a reason to delay the canvass.

The memo concluded by saying “Crosby and Judd’s actions not only demonstrate a complete disregard for the law but also jeopardize Arizona’s democracy. Had a court not intervened, the failure of these two Supervisors to uphold their duty would have disenfranchised thousands of Cochise County voters.”

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