State senators in Arizona sue for access to Maricopa County voting data, machines

Republican state senators in Arizona have launched a legal bid to gain access to the voting machines used in Maricopa County during last month's presidential election. 

In a new lawsuit, the Republican caucus asks the Maricopa County Superior Court to order the county to produce the requested materials by Dec. 29. The goal of the legislators is to have reviewed all pertinent materials before Jan. 6, when Congress meets to count the Electoral College votes.

The state of Arizona has certified its election returns in favor of Joe Biden, who, unless something changes, will receive the state's 11 electoral college votes in January. That something could, in this case, be the Republican-led State Senate Judiciary Committee concluding that something went wrong with the Maricopa County vote count in last month's presidential race.

Such a determination could trigger movement in Congress by supporters of President Trump to reject Arizona's certification and instead award the incumbent the state's electoral votes. 

However, Republican state senators in Arizona caution that their actions do not presuppose that the results in Maricopa Country are marred by fraud. 

"There are multiple purposes here," said State Senator Eddie Farnsworth. "But the main one is to reinstill and ensure that we have confidence in the system. If there's been fraud, at that point the Legislature can decide what to do."