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  • 8/10/2019 Barber Response to Tro 111014

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    criteria

    required

    to

    obtain

    this extraordinary

    relief,

    especially

    here

    whete such

    relief

    would:

    (l)

    interfere with

    the statutory

    duties

    and discretion

    of

    the

    Pima County

    Director

    of Elections,

    and

    (2)

    more

    importantly,

    would

    improperly

    elevate

    what are,

    at most,

    technical

    requirements

    placed

    on

    election

    day

    poll workers over

    the

    true

    object of

    elections

    under

    Arizona

    l1-((6

    ascertain

    a

    free expression

    of

    the will

    of

    the

    voters.

    Territory

    v.

    Bd.

    of

    Sup'rs

    of Mohave

    Cnly.,2

    ti2.248,

    252-53,

    12 P . 130,

    732

    (1557).

    As a

    result,

    and detailed

    further

    below,

    Plaintiff

    s

    request

    for a

    TRO, and

    indeed,

    her request

    for

    special

    action

    relief

    in

    its entirety,

    must

    be denied.

    Factual

    Background

    At

    the

    heart of

    Plaintiffs

    complaint

    and

    request

    for a

    TRO is an

    extremely

    close

    Congressional

    election.

    At

    last check,

    the

    unofficial

    margin

    between

    Republican

    Martha

    McSally

    and

    incumbent

    Democratic

    Congressman

    Ron Barber

    was 341

    votes.

    I

    Provisional

    ballot

    verification

    by

    the Pima

    County Recorder

    (the Recorder )

    has

    ended, and

    the

    Pima

    County

    Director

    of

    Elections

    (the

    Director )

    will

    begin counting

    those

    ballots

    (and

    others)

    today.

    On November

    8,

    2074,

    the

    Republican

    Party l}y'rartha

    Mcsally

    for

    Congress

    campaign

    ( McSally ) lodged

    a

    challenge

    with the

    Recorder

    requesting

    that

    she

    cease

    the

    process

    of

    verifying

    provisional ballots

    which

    bear

    the signature

    of

    the voter,

    but

    do not

    also have

    a

    signature

    of a

    poll

    worker

    on the

    provisional ballot

    envelope.2

    The

    Campaign

    unclerstands

    that

    several

    hundred

    ballots

    may fall

    into

    this category,

    and that

    the

    poll

    workers

    did

    not

    sign

    provisional ballot

    envelopes

    in

    most

    precincts,

    but

    most notably,

    Pima County

    precincts

    53,57,

    58,80 100,113,and216.

    In a series of emails

    with Mcsally's

    counsel, the

    Recorder

    indicated that

    her

    oflice

    would

    not stop

    the verification

    process as to this

    category

    of

    provisional ballots.3

    The

    filing

    of the

    rizona Secretary

    of

    State's

    Office, Unofficial

    Election

    Results,

    available

    at

    c

    WebOl/

    See

    E-mail

    from

    Eric Spencer

    as

    Exhibit

    A

    to

    Pirna County

    Recorder

    F.

    Ann

    Roddguez,

    Nov.

    9,

    2014,9;

    47 AM

    [attached

    hereto

    .See

    E-mail from

    Deputy

    Pima

    County

    Recorder Chris

    Roads

    to

    Eric

    Spencer,

    Nov

    9,201410:05

    AM

    fsee

    Exhibit

    Al

    1

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    complaint

    for

    special

    action

    and request

    for

    TRO in this

    case

    followed.

    Argumcnt

    Just

    one day

    after

    voters

    all over

    Arizonawent

    to the

    polls, and

    when

    confronted

    with

    the

    reality of

    another

    close

    election

    in

    Arizona's

    Second

    Congressional

    District,

    Martha

    McSally

    issued

    a statement

    explaining

    that

    while

    the

    democratic

    process can be

    slower

    than

    we want

    at

    times,

    it's

    critical

    to make

    sure

    all

    Arizonans

    have

    their

    voices

    heard,

    and that

    her

    carnpaign

    intendfed]

    to make

    sure

    that

    every

    vote

    is counted. 4

    But the f,rling

    of

    this actiou

    (by

    McSally's

    campaign

    counsel,

    no

    less) evidences

    that

    Plaintiff

    is

    among

    Mcsally's

    supporters

    who

    do

    not

    agree.

    Plaintiff

    seeks

    to invalidate

    potentially several

    hundred

    on which

    poll

    workers,

    for

    whatever

    reason, did

    not sign

    provisional ballot

    envelopes.

    This,

    at best,

    is the

    very

    definition

    of

    a technical

    enor

    in the

    complicated

    election

    process, and

    Plaintiffls

    requested

    relief

    would

    work

    only

    to

    punish voters, who

    otherwise

    complied

    with

    all election

    law

    and

    voting

    requirements,

    for

    a

    mistake

    they did

    not

    make.

    But

    more fundamentally,

    it

    is not

    an

    error

    at all because

    the

    signing

    of

    a provisional

    ballot

    envelope

    by

    a

    poll

    worker

    is not

    a

    mandatory requirement

    irnposed

    by

    Arizona's

    comprehensive

    statutory

    scheme

    governing

    elections.

    As a

    result,

    Plaintiff s

    request is

    as

    misguided

    as

    it

    is

    political,

    and

    should

    be

    denied.

    I.

    PLAINTIFF

    CANNOT

    ESTAIILISH

    ANY OF

    THE

    FOUR

    CRITERIA

    FOR

    TI-IE

    ENTRY

    OF

    A TEMPOIIARY

    RESTRAINING

    ORDER

    Plaintiff

    cannot

    demonstrate

    that he

    is entitled

    to

    a TRO that

    would

    prevent Pima

    County

    from verifying

    and

    counting

    the

    ballots

    in

    question.

    A

    party

    seeking

    a

    TRO-like

    one seeking

    a

    preliminary injunction-must

    establish

    four

    traditional

    equitable

    criteria :

    1)

    A strong

    likelihood

    that

    he will

    succeed at

    trial

    on the

    merits;

    2)

    The

    possibility of irreparable

    injury

    to

    him not

    remediable

    by

    dmages

    if

    the

    requested

    relief

    is not

    granted;

    4

    availqble

    at

    Bill

    Hess

    httu://www.

    tng

    in tabulating

    CDS

    race,

    Siena

    Vista

    Flerald

    Q''lov.

    6,2014),

    content/bill-hess/20

    1

    ,

    Slow

    d.com/

    a

    J-

    41111061391781

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    3)

    A

    balance

    of

    hardships

    favors

    himself;

    and

    4) Public

    policy favors the

    injunction.

    Shoenv.

    Shoen,16l

    riz.58,

    63,

    804 P.2d

    787,792

    (Ct.

    App.

    1990)

    (citations

    omitted).

    A

    court

    applying this

    standard

    may apply

    a sliding

    scale,

    under which

    the

    moving

    pafty

    may

    establish

    either

    1)

    probable

    success

    on the

    merits

    and

    the

    possibility

    of

    irreparable

    injury;

    or

    2)

    the

    presence

    of

    serious

    questions

    and

    [that]

    'the

    balance

    of

    hardships

    tip[s]

    sharply '

    in

    its

    favor.

    Smithv.

    Ariz.

    Citizens Clean

    Elections Comm'n,212

    Ari2.407,410-11

    T

    10,

    l32P3d

    lIB7,

    1190-91

    (2006).

    Whatever the

    standard,

    Plaintiff cannot

    prevail.

    A. Plaintiff

    Will

    Not Succeed

    on the Merits.

    Plaintiff

    cannot

    (and

    will

    not) succeed

    at a

    trial

    on the

    merits

    of

    this action

    because

    his

    claim

    will fail as

    a

    matter

    of

    law

    for

    at least four separate reasons.

    First, it is clear

    from the

    plain

    language

    of

    the controlling statute

    governing

    the handling,

    processing,

    and

    counting

    of

    provisional

    ballots

    that:

    (1)

    the

    signature

    of a

    poll worker on a

    provisional

    ballot envelope

    is not

    required,

    and

    (2)

    even

    if a signature

    were

    required,

    its

    absence

    would not

    work

    to invalidate a

    voter's

    otherwise-clear

    expression

    of her intent.

    See

    Bither

    v.

    Country

    Mut. Ins. Co.,226 Ariz. 198,

    200

    T

    8,245

    P.3d 883, 885

    (App.

    2010)

    ( The

    best

    indication

    of

    legislative intent

    is the

    plain language of the statute. )

    (citation omitted).

    Indeed,

    all

    that the slatute contemplates

    is that the

    provisional

    ballot,

    once

    voted,

    be

    placed

    into an

    envelope

    and

    then

    verified

    by election

    officials

    through a specilc

    procedure:

    On

    completion

    of

    the

    hllot,

    the electiott

    officil sltall

    remove

    tlte

    bllot

    stub,

    sltll

    place

    the

    bullot

    in

    a

    provisionul ballot

    envelope

    and

    shall deposit the envelope

    in

    the

    ballot

    box. Within ten

    calendar days after a

    general

    election that

    includes an

    election

    for

    a

    federal office

    and

    within

    five business

    days after any other

    election

    or

    no

    later than

    the

    time

    at

    which challenged

    early

    voting ballots are

    resolved, the

    signature

    shall be compared

    to the

    precinct

    signature

    roster

    of

    the former

    precinct where the voter was registered.

    If

    the

    voter's name is not signed on

    the roster and if there

    is no

    indication

    that

    the

    voter voted an early

    ballot, the

    provisional

    ballot

    envelope

    shall

    be

    opened and

    the ballot sliall be counted.

    If

    there is

    information

    showing

    the

    person

    did

    vote, the

    provisional

    ballot

    shall remain

    unopened and

    shall not

    be counted. When

    provisional

    -4-

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    ballots are

    conf,rrmed

    for

    counting, the

    county recorder shall

    use the

    information

    supplied

    on

    the

    provisional

    ballot

    envelope

    to

    correct

    the

    address

    record

    ofthe

    voter.

    A.R.S.

    $

    16-584(D)

    (emphasis

    added). And,

    in

    the

    absence

    of

    eitl-rer

    a

    statutory

    requirement or

    statutory disqualification

    of

    a

    ballot

    on

    these

    grounds,

    it is

    not the

    role

    of the

    judiciary

    to

    create

    them. Cf Fish v.

    Redeker,2 Ariz.

    App.602,606,411

    P.zd

    40,44

    (1966)

    ( This

    Court

    is

    reluctant to deprive a successful

    candidate

    of the fruits of

    an election

    unless such

    penalty

    is

    speciJiclly

    setforth

    by

    statute. )

    (emphasis added).

    Second, Plaintiff

    points

    to

    the following

    language

    in the

    Arizona

    Secretary

    of

    State's

    Elections

    Manual

    (the

    Manual ),s

    which describes

    the process

    of handling

    provisional

    ballots:

    'lhe

    voter and the election

    official

    sign the

    provisional

    ballot

    form See

    Manual

    aI

    152.

    Although

    the Manual

    does contain

    this

    language,

    it

    is not

    cast

    in a mandatory

    form.

    But

    even if

    it

    were,

    it

    would be

    trumped

    by

    a

    later

    provision

    of

    the Manual,

    which

    provides

    that

    provisional

    ballots

    shttll

    be counteil'if:

    (1)

    the

    registration

    of the

    voter is verified

    and

    the

    voter is

    eligible

    to

    vote in the

    precinct,

    and'

    (2)

    the

    voter's signature

    does

    not

    appear

    on any on

    any other

    signature

    roster

    for that

    election, and'

    (3)

    there is

    no

    record

    that the

    voter voted early

    for

    that

    election.

    ,Se Manual at

    185

    (emphasis

    added). And, the affidavit

    on

    the

    provisional

    ballot

    envelope

    is

    sufficient

    if

    the

    voter signs

    it and

    if

    the signature

    matches the signature

    on the

    voter's

    registration

    .

    Id.

    at

    162.

    Thus, even

    if

    the

    language

    relied

    on

    by

    Plaintiff were mandatory

    (which

    it is not), it

    cannot supersede

    the statute

    (A.R.S.

    $

    16-584) and the

    Manual at

    page

    185,

    particularly

    considering

    Arizona's

    policy

    under

    which

    votes

    are

    counted

    absent

    a

    substantive

    irregularity.

    At

    worst, there

    is

    an internal inconsistency

    between two

    provisions

    of

    the

    Manual

    and

    the

    authorizing

    statute,

    which

    must be resolved in

    favor of

    the statute

    and

    the

    provision

    of

    the

    Manual

    that is

    virtually

    identical to the

    statute.

    As

    a

    result,

    the

    signature

    of a

    poll

    worker

    (or

    lack thereof)

    has

    notlting to do

    witli the

    validity

    of

    a

    provisional

    ballot

    when

    the scheme

    prescribed

    by the Manual

    is

    considered

    in

    its

    S e e http

    :

    l

    l

    www,

    azsos.

    gov/election/Electronic

    Voting

    S

    ystern/manual. pdf

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    entirety

    (as

    it must).

    Grant

    v. Bd. of

    Regents

    of Universities & State

    Colleges of

    Ariz.,

    133 Ariz.

    527,

    529,

    652 P.2d 1374,

    1376

    (I9SZ) ( statutory

    construction

    requires that the

    provisions of

    a

    statute be

    read

    and

    construed in context

    with

    the

    related

    provisions

    and

    in light

    of

    its

    place

    in

    the

    statutory scheme ).

    Above all, the

    Manual says nothing

    about

    the disqualification

    of

    provisional

    ballots

    that lack the signature of

    a

    poll

    worker

    on the

    envelope,

    which is hardly surprising

    given

    that

    'in

    counting

    the ballots, the determination

    of the intent of

    the

    vs[s1 -11t

    a

    poll

    worker's

    technical compliance with the

    Manual- is

    the

    question

    of

    primary

    importance.

    White

    v.

    De

    Arman, 89

    Ariz.

    327, 328,

    362 P.2d

    122,

    122

    (1961) (citation

    omitted)

    Third, to the extent that

    Arizona law

    requires

    that

    poll

    workers sign

    provisional

    ballot

    envelopes, their failure

    to

    do so

    is

    a

    technicality

    that

    cannot

    work

    to

    deprive a voter

    of

    the

    opportunity to make their voice

    heard,

    and

    the

    candidates

    for whom they

    voted the benefit

    of their

    support. Territory v.

    Bd.

    of Sup'rs

    of Mohave

    Cnty.,2 Ariz.248,252-53,

    12P.730,732

    (1887)

    ( It

    is the object

    of

    elections to ascertain

    a free expression

    of

    the

    will

    of the voters,

    and no mere

    irregularity

    can

    be

    considered,

    unless

    it

    be shown that the result

    has

    been affected

    by

    such

    irregularity. );

    Findley

    v.

    Sorenson,35

    Ari2.265,269,276 P. 843, 844

    (1929)

    ( honest

    mistakes

    or

    mere

    omissions

    on

    the

    part

    of the election offrcers, or irregularities in directory

    matters,

    even

    though

    gross,

    if not fraudulent, will not

    void an election,

    unless they

    affect the result, or at

    least

    render it uncedain. ).

    Importantly,

    the

    most

    recent Atizona authority

    on

    point

    makes clear that votes

    and

    elections

    will

    be

    voided only

    in

    the

    case

    of

    substantive irregulaties, hardly the

    case presented

    here. Miller v.

    Picacho Peak

    School

    District, 179 Ariz. 178,877 P.2d277

    (1994).

    In Miller,

    voters in a school district

    contested

    the

    results

    of a

    budget

    override election

    because

    school

    district employees had

    been

    closely

    involved with the distribution and collection

    of absentee

    ballots, in

    violation of

    A.R.S. 16-542(B) which required that only electors may

    possess

    [absentee]

    ballots. Id. at 178,

    877 P.2d

    at 277

    . The

    Supreme Courl held that

    the

    school

    district

    employees

    had

    violated

    the

    express

    terms

    of

    a

    non-technical statute,

    that the

    absentee

    ballots in

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    would

    be

    void as a

    matter of

    administrative

    law.

    Though

    the

    Manual

    is

    a

    binding adrninistrative

    rule,

    A.R.S .

    16-452,

    but

    like all

    other

    rules, it

    should

    not

    be

    inconsistent

    with

    or contrary

    to

    the

    provisions

    of a statute,

    particularly the

    statute

    it seeks to

    effectuate.

    Ferguson

    v. Arizona

    Dep't

    of

    Econ.

    Sec.,

    722

    Ariz.

    290,292, 594

    P.2d 544,546

    (App.

    1979).

    To

    construe

    this

    section

    of

    the

    Manual

    as

    requiring

    the disqualification

    of ballots

    based

    on an honest

    and innocent

    poll

    worker

    error when

    no

    disqualification

    mandate

    is set

    forth

    in

    the

    authorizing

    statute

    (A.R.S.

    $

    l6-584(D))

    would

    be

    inconsistent with the statutory

    scheme,

    and

    undermine

    a

    strong

    Arizona

    policy

    of

    ensuring

    that

    elections ascertain

    a

    free

    expression

    of

    the will

    of

    the

    voters.

    Territory,2

    Ariz.

    at

    252-53,

    12P. at732; see /so

    Discussion at

    p.

    5,

    supr

    B.

    Plaintiff Wilt

    Not Suffer

    Irreparable

    Harm if Relief

    is

    Not Granted.

    Beyond

    Plaintiffls

    inability

    to demonstrate

    that he

    will

    succeed

    on the

    rnerits at

    trial, he

    also cannot

    establish that he

    would

    sustain

    irreparable

    harm

    absent

    the

    entry

    of

    a

    TRO.

    If

    the

    provisional

    ballots

    at

    issue here

    are

    counted and

    ultimately affect

    the

    outcome

    of the

    election,

    Plaintiff

    clearly

    has

    a

    statutory

    remedy through

    an

    election

    contest

    brought

    pursuant

    to

    A.R.S.

    $

    16-672. That statute

    clearly

    provides

    that

    any

    elector

    may contest the

    election of

    any

    person

    declared

    elected to a state

    offrce for, among other things, the counting

    of

    illegal votes. A.R.S,

    16-672(^)(4).

    That

    is

    precisely

    the

    procedure

    followed in

    Mille. Because

    the

    legislature

    has

    plovided

    Plaintiff with

    an adequate

    remedy

    at

    law

    that

    is not

    yet

    ripe, he

    will

    not sustain

    irreparable injury

    if

    he

    does not obtain

    its requested

    TRO.

    C.

    The

    Balance of

    l{ardships

    Favors the

    Non-Moving Parfy.

    In weighing

    the

    balance of

    hardships,

    there

    is no

    doubt thal

    a

    TRO

    preventing elections

    officials

    from

    oounting

    the disputed

    provisional

    ballots

    would

    harm the Carnpaign

    and

    those

    who

    potentially

    cast

    ballots in

    Congressman

    Barber's favor. Among

    other things,

    granting

    Plaintiff

    his

    requested relief

    rnay

    ultimately deny

    the

    Campaign

    its

    right to an automatic recount.

    This

    could

    occur if

    not counting

    the

    disputed

    provisional

    ballots would bring the

    spread between

    the

    candidates to

    greater

    than

    one-tenth of one

    percent,

    the

    trigger for

    such a recount

    under Arizona

    -8-

  • 8/10/2019 Barber Response to Tro 111014

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    1

    2

    a

    J

    4

    5

    6

    1

    8

    9

    10

    tl

    I2

    13

    t4

    l5

    16

    l7

    l8

    t9

    20

    2T

    22

    23

    24

    25

    26

    law.

    ,See A.R.S.

    $

    16-661.

    In contrast,

    the Plaintiff and

    his

    efforts

    to invalidate

    those ballots

    would

    not be

    adversely affected

    by

    the denial

    of

    its

    requested

    TRO.

    D.

    The Public Interest

    Favors the

    Counting

    of

    All

    Ballots.

    Above

    all,

    the

    public

    interest

    does

    not favor

    punishing

    voters for a mistake

    they

    did

    not

    make,

    or

    casting aside

    several hundred

    otherwise-valid

    provisional

    ballots as

    a

    result

    of

    an

    invented

    technicality that has no basis

    in Arizona law.

    To

    the

    contrary,

    those

    ballots

    must le

    counted

    consistent with

    the constitutional significance

    of

    the

    act of

    participation

    in the

    political

    process.

    See Burdiclc

    v.

    Takushi, 504

    U.S.

    428,

    433

    (It

    is

    beyond

    cavil

    that

    voting

    is

    of

    the

    most

    fundamental

    significance under our

    constitutional structure. )

    (citation

    and

    internal

    quotation

    marks

    omitted);

    Wesberry v. Sanders,376

    U.S. l,17

    (1964)

    ( No

    right is

    more

    precious

    in

    a

    ee

    country than that

    of

    having

    a

    voice

    in

    the election

    of those

    who

    make

    the laws

    under

    which, as

    good

    citizens, we

    must live. Other rights,

    even the

    most

    basic,

    are

    illusory

    if

    the

    right to

    vote

    is

    undermined. ). The Court should not interfere with the

    process

    of counting all valid ballots

    and

    permitting

    elections

    officials to fulfill their

    statutory

    duties to

    perform

    a

    full

    canvass

    of

    the

    votes

    that can later be certified

    by

    the Board of Supervisors.

    Conclusion

    For the

    foregoing

    reasons, the Campaign respectfully request

    that

    the

    Court

    deny

    Plaintifls

    request

    for a temporary restraining

    order

    in this

    matter.

    -9-

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    Gaona,

    D.

    Andrew

    (Perkins

    Coie)

    From:

    Sent:

    To:

    F. Ann Rodriguez

    Sunday,

    November

    09,2014

    1l-:45 AM

    Spencer,

    Eric; Chris J

    Roads; [email protected];

    Barr, Daniel

    (Perkins

    Coie);

    Gaona,

    D. Andrew

    (Perkins

    Coie)

    Recorder-admin;

    [email protected];

    [email protected]'gov;

    Tweeten,

    Carlie; Jenkins,

    Amanda;

    [email protected];

    Chris

    Straub

    RE:

    Challenge to

    Provisional

    Ballot Forms

    With

    Missing

    Election

    Official

    Signature

    Cc

    Subject:

    Eric,

    I

    believe we have already

    answered

    you

    on this

    matterfully.

    I

    believe the emails crossed

    that Mr.

    Roads

    sent

    and

    then

    we received this email.

    We

    are

    proceeding

    as

    planned

    and explained

    in other emails

    I

    have already

    given

    the

    attorneys

    that

    are

    here representing

    both

    candidates

    the below

    report verbally on

    our

    progress

    for

    Provisional

    Ballots at approximately

    11:30

    a.m,

    Completed

    first

    checks done

    9,254

    Completed 2nd checl

  • 8/10/2019 Barber Response to Tro 111014

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    Fric l-1.

    Spencer

    Snell &

    Wilmer

    L.L.P.

    One

    Arizona

    Center

    Phoenix,

    Arizona

    B5OO4-2202

    Office: 602.382.6573

    [email protected]

    www.swlaw.com/eric_spencer

    n:li

    ,\iilntut

    Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Los Cabos, Orange

    County, Phoenix, Reno, Salt Lake City, Tucson

    From:

    Spencer, Eric

    Sentr Sunday, November 09,2014 10:21 AM

    To:

    'Chris

    J

    Roads';

    F.

    Ann Rodriguez; [email protected]

    Cc: Recorder-admin;

    [email protected]; [email protected];

    Tweeten,

    Carlie; Jenkins, Amanda;

    [email protected]

    Subject:

    RE:

    Challenge

    to

    Provisional

    Ballot

    Forms

    With Missing Election Official Signature

    Importance:

    High

    Mr. Roads,

    Thank

    you

    for

    your

    response.

    However,

    I

    do

    not

    believe

    that

    your

    response

    directly

    addressed

    the

    issues

    raised in

    our

    cha

    llenge.

    First, I

    would

    like

    to

    clarify

    the

    response

    time horizon.

    The

    campaign

    merely asked for confirmation within

    30

    minutes

    that the

    recorder's office

    and elections

    department

    intended to implement

    the

    requested

    protective

    measures.

    The

    campaign certainly did not expect the identification, collection and embargo

    process

    to be

    completed

    within

    30

    minutes

    Second,

    the

    campaign dd not request

    that

    a//

    provisional

    ballot

    processng

    cease

    altogether,

    s

    your

    response appears

    to assume. With

    respect

    to the

    recorder's

    office, the

    campaign

    requested:

    1.

    That

    any/ulure

    provisional

    ballot found with a missing signature be rejected

    as

    unverified,

    and set aside

    pending

    a

    legal

    review.

    This universe could end up being

    quite

    small.

    2.

    That

    the

    recorder's

    office,

    n

    conjunction

    with

    political

    party

    observers, conduct

    a

    review of

    previously-verified

    provisional

    ballots

    before those ballots

    are

    transmitted to the

    elections

    department.

    This

    strikes

    me as a

    very

    reasonable

    and limited

    request

    that

    will not impede

    your

    office's statutory

    processing

    deadlines. Once

    the

    ballots in

    question

    are

    segregated,

    which again

    -

    could

    be a

    quite

    limited

    universe

    -

    the

    parties

    can

    make

    a

    final

    legal determination.

    To confirm,

    the campaign is not requesting thatthe recorder's office

    cease

    processingvalid provisional

    ballots.

    ln

    light

    of

    these clarifications, and

    in

    order

    to

    preclude

    the

    parties

    from

    having to

    unnecessarily

    seek

    special action

    relief

    in Superior

    Court,

    please

    confirm

    whether

    the recorder's

    will implement

    these

    targeted

    protectve

    measures,,

    Very

    truly

    yours,

    Eric

    Spencer

    Erc

    H.

    Spencer

    2

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    Snell &

    Wilmer

    L.L.P.

    One

    Arizona

    Center

    Phoenix,

    Arizona 85004-2202

    Office: 602.382.6573

    [email protected]

    www.swlaw.com/eric-spencer

    Snrll

    \ilrnt

    Denver,

    Las

    Vegas,

    Los

    Angeles,

    Los

    Cabos,

    Orange

    County,

    Phoenix,

    Reno,

    Salt

    Lake City,

    Tucson

    From: Chris J

    Roads

    l-mailto:Chris.Roa

    l

    Sent: Sunday,

    November

    09,

    2014 10:05

    AM

    To:

    Spencer, Eric;

    F,

    Ann Rodriguez; [email protected]

    Cc: Recorder-admin;

    Mary,Martinson@pima,gov;

    Daniel,[email protected];

    Tweeten,

    Carlie;

    Jenkins,

    Amanda;

    [email protected]

    Subject:

    RE:

    Challenge

    to

    Provisional

    Ballot

    Forms With

    Missing

    Election Official

    Signature

    Mr. Spencer,

    ln response

    to

    your

    challenge,

    the Pima County

    Recorder's

    Office

    will

    not stop

    processing the

    provisional

    ballots. Whetherornotthepoll

    workersignedtheprovisional

    isclearlyidentifiablefromasmpleexaminationofthe

    provisional

    ballot

    form

    whether or not the

    provisional is

    processed

    by the

    Recorder's

    Office. Therefore

    our

    processing

    has

    no bearing

    as to

    your

    challenge.

    ln

    other words,

    the fact that

    we

    processed

    the

    provisional form

    will

    not

    impact

    your

    abilityto

    proceed

    with

    your challenge.

    The Recorder's Office

    is

    under

    a

    statutory

    deadline

    to

    complete

    processing

    the

    provisional

    ballots

    and

    we

    will

    continue to

    proceed toward meeting that

    deadline.

    Please

    note

    that

    your

    extremely

    short deadlines

    for

    responses

    are unreasonable.

    Under

    Arizona

    law we

    have

    a

    reasonable

    time to respond to

    public records requests

    and

    other

    matters.

    A

    deadline

    of

    less

    than 30

    minutes

    is far

    less

    than

    reasonable.

    Both

    candidates

    have attorneys

    on site in our office

    observing

    our

    processes

    and

    tracking the

    work

    we are doing

    Chris

    Roads

    Chief

    Deputy Recorder/Registrar

    of Voters

    Pima

    County

    Recorder's Office

    From

    :

    Spencer,

    Eric

    Imailto:

    [email protected]]

    Sent:

    Sunday, November

    9,20L4 9:47

    AM

    To:

    F.

    Ann Rodriguez;

    [email protected]

    Cc: Recorder-admin;

    Marv.Martinson@pima,gov;

    [email protected];

    Tweeten,

    Carlie; Jenkins,

    Amanda;

    [email protected]

    Subject:

    Challenge

    to Provisional

    Ballot

    Forms

    With Missing

    Election Official

    Signature

    Importance: High

    Ms. Rodriguez and

    Mr.

    Nelson,

    The

    Republican

    Party/McSally

    for Congress campaign

    (collectively

    the

    campaign ) formally

    challenges

    the validity

    of

    all

    provisional

    ballots

    that have

    a

    provisional

    ballot

    form

    with

    a missing

    election

    official

    signature.

    3

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    Page

    152 of

    the Secretary of State's

    Election Procedures

    Manual

    states

    that,

    priorto voting a

    provisional

    ballot:

    An

    election official or

    voter completes

    a

    provisional

    ballot

    form.

    The

    voter and

    the election

    official

    sien the

    provisional

    ballot

    form.

    After

    voting the

    ballot, [t]he

    voter

    will

    return the

    sealed envelope

    to

    the election

    official,

    who

    will verify the envelope

    s

    properly

    filled

    out,

    signed and

    sealed.

    /d.

    Accordingly,

    the campaign

    respectfully

    requests the

    following immediate

    relief:

    The recorder's

    office instruct

    staff

    to

    not

    verify any

    provisional

    ballots

    with a

    missing

    election

    official

    signature

    on

    the

    provisional

    ballot

    form;

    The

    recorder's

    office

    cease

    transmitting any

    prevously-verified

    provisional

    ballots

    to

    the

    elections

    department,

    pending

    a

    review of

    the

    provisional

    ballot forms

    for

    missing

    election official

    signatures;

    The elections department

    cease

    processing any

    provisional

    ballots

    ortransmtting any

    provisional

    ballots

    for

    counting,

    pending

    a

    review of

    the

    provisional

    ballot forms

    for

    missing election

    official signatures;

    and

    The recorder's office

    and elections

    department

    collect

    and embargo any

    provisional

    ballots

    that

    contain

    a

    provisional

    ballot

    form

    with missing

    election official

    signatures,

    pending

    a final

    legal

    review and

    determination

    in

    conjunction

    with

    the County

    Attorney's office.

    Given

    the exigency

    of ths

    matter,

    please

    confirm

    by

    1-0:L5

    a.m.

    that the recorder's office

    and

    elections

    department

    will

    immediately

    implement these

    prophylactic

    procedures.

    Very

    truly

    yours,

    Eric

    Spencer

    Eric H.

    Spencer

    Snell &

    Wilmer

    L.L.P.

    One Arizona Center

    Phoenix, Arizona

    85004-2202

    Office: 602.382.6573

    [email protected]

    www.swlaw.com/eric-spencer

    tnsll

    c\Siilnrr

    Denver, Las

    Vegas, Los

    Angeles,

    Los Cabos,

    Orange

    County,

    Phoenix,

    Reno,

    Salt

    Lake City,

    Tucson

    a

    4