Why Should We Trust Partisan Elections Audits?

The controversy over election audits has reached a new level with the 2020 Maricopa County election. Critics question the reliability of the partisan audit, particularly given the prior nonpartisan audit that yielded similar results. This article delves into the details of the audit and examines the funding sources behind it to address the skepticism surrounding partisan audits.

Prior Nonpartisan Audit

Before delving into the current audit, it's essential to understand the prior nonpartisan audit that proceeded it. In this audit, 200 workers from diverse political affiliations participated, ensuring the audit was truly nonpartisan. These individuals were registered voters who placed the nation above party loyalty. Despite thorough scrutiny, the audit did not reveal any major discrepancies from the initial results. This consistency raises important questions about the need for subsequent partisan audits.

Key Findings of the Current Audit

The current audit has revealed several significant findings:

13.61% of ballots had corrupted images. 12.22% of ballots did not receive any entry records. 2.76% of ballots lacked legal provenance. 1.65% of ballots were illegally photocopied. 8.13% of voters' votes were missing. 1.43% of in-person votes were recorded as mail-in votes. 14.36% of votes were potentially suppressed. 1.64% were qualified as mixed bad votes. 50.96% of election files were deleted.

Given these findings, it's clear that the election's results may not meet the standards of a "Six Sigma" election, meaning the confidence in the accuracy of the election is significantly diminished.

Why Trust the Partisan Audit?

The current audit, funded largely by Republican 'dark money' donors, has produced a result that aligns closely with the initial outcome. This raises doubts about whether the audit serves more to support preconceived notions rather than uncovering any actual discrepancies. If the audit had concluded that Joe Biden lost by a landslide, the result would have been suspect. Instead, the conclusion that the published results are essentially correct emphasizes the disparity between the results of partisan and nonpartisan audits.

Implications and Critiques

The willingness of only the Trump Republican cult to trust the results of the partisan audit underscores the deep divide in trust and belief. This auditorship mainly serves to bolster a pre-existing viewpoint rather than genuine assurance of election integrity.

The funding behind the audit is a critical factor in its perceived legitimacy. If the current audit conclusion is trusted solely because it aligns with Republican views, it highlights the issue of dark money and its influence on election outcomes.

However, the question remains: if a nonpartisan audit already found no major discrepancies, why is a partisan audit even necessary? The answer lies in the fact that only individuals aligned with one party might accept the results of a partisan audit, regardless of the audit's findings.

Conclusion

Given the findings and the funding sources, the current audit's conclusions are more aligned with preconceived biases than with genuine democratic principles. The only reason for such audits is to appease those distrustful of the nonpartisan audit. Moving forward, we must ensure that audits are truly independent and unbiased to maintain public trust in the electoral process.