But the audit has proceeded at Phoenix’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum. As details emerge from the arena’s floor, it appears the hand count of presidential and U.S. Senate votes from Maricopa County will likely produce results that diverge from the county’s official 2020 results, where Joe Biden beat Donald Trump by 45,109 votes or 2.16 percent. (Statewide, Biden won by 10,457 votes.) The reason for the probable discrepancy is not the hyper-partisanship surrounding the Senate’s audit, but because the hand count is imprecise at key junctures.
Our assessment is based on time spent as a floor observer on May 6 and 7, which included strict limits on interviews (for instance, only being allowed to speak with Cyber Ninjas’ attorney or designated technicians). Our conclusion is also based on a review of state and county election procedure rules and guidelines, and consultations with outside lawyers specializing in post-election procedures and other observers allowed in the tightly watched coliseum.