NEW: A Maricopa County Judge tells Clean Elections USA founder to stop using the mark "Clean Elections USA" since AZ has its own Clean Elections.

Founder Melody Jennings also told to remove a blog post, “10+ Ways The Election Was Rigged In Maricopa County.”

Ruling below: Clean Elections USA has been behind unfounded claims about the 2020 election being stolen.

They had called on people to watch drop boxes in Maricopa Co., which some ended in Voter Intimidation Complaints.

ELECTION DAY: 1 in 5 ballots are not going through voting tabulators right now in some polling centers in Maricopa County, AZ.

These ballots not going through will be set aside to be counted separately. There is a secure process set in place that happens for issues like this @billgatesaz said this was not anticipated, but technicians are working on the issue.

He adds it may be 1/5 or 2/5 out of ballots.

Follow along with me as Maricopa County will have a press conference on 'Predicting False Election Narratives' ahead of tomorrow's general election here in Arizona. Chairman @billgatesaz: just at the end of last week, misinformation spewing about this election.

Under AZ law we won't have final results on election night, "the reason that it takes several days to have all the votes counted here is due in part to the main in voting we have..."

🧵ELECTIONS IN ARIZONA: In Arizona, election officials have faced death threats.

Poll workers have been harassed.

For days I have covered voter intimidation complaints.

A thread of just a portion of the comments I have received: "Just ask the idiot little girl reporter why she sold her soul collecting a paycheck from vile and corrupt ABC fake news."

/2

BREAKING: @mcsoaz tells @abc15 they are looking into several individuals watching a voter drop box in Mesa, AZ.

I’m told they have magazine clips, dressed in tactical gear, fully disguised. @Garrett_Archer

Video: *Magazine -- not gun clip.
I was told I still worded my correction wrong, apologies.

Deleted, and posted this correction of the correction. :)

(I'm past 13 hours of work today.)

DEVELOPING: The AZ SOS office has received three more voter intimidation complaints outside an AZ drop box, all being sent to the DOJ for investigation.

One of the reports details the same group I saw Wed. night, they claimed they were with Clean Elections USA. @Garrett_Archer

https://twitter.com/NicoleSGrigg/status/1582904476393820160

The complaint filed said, a group is 'taking pictures of me, my license plate as I dropped our mail in ballots in the box.'

Goes on to say, "They basically said they're taking pictures looking for some fantasy BS on the voting citizenry."

BREAKING: this is the voter intimidation complaint filed by an Arizona voter this week outside a drop box.

The complaint describes how a voter claims they were filmed, followed and accused of 'being a mule.' It goes on to say, "they took photographs of our license plate and of us and then followed us out of the parking lot in one of their cars continuing to film."

‘VITAMIN D’: ‘we’re just out here getting some Vitamin D’ seems to be the key response as several are watching a ballot drop box outside Maricopa Co election HQ in AZ.

This group says they’re with Clean Elections USA, but wouldn’t elaborate on if they’re volunteers, or what. For those who missed the 🧵:

https://twitter.com/NicoleSGrigg/status/1582887636884066304

NEW: several people have been sitting outside the Maricopa County elections headquarters in Arizona outside 1 of 2 ballot drop boxes.

They have their own cameras rolling, pointed right at the drop box.

A woman here says she is here to get Vitamin D. @Garrett_Archer @abc15 They say they haven’t said anything to anyone dropping off their ballots.

They have pizza, sunscreen, a dog, a water for a dog, several cameras and one has a walk-in talkie.

NOT GUILTY: Not guilty verdict for ex-boyfriend of Kiera Bergman who was found dead in the desert 4 yrs ago.

I saw Clark walking in to court before the verdict where he told me he was innocent, when I asked him what he would say to her family, “I love Kiera.” About 15 minutes later, jury found not guilty on both charges of 2nd degree and tampering with evidence.

NEW: the mayor of the 5th largest city in the US won’t answer questions about a vaccine mandate just put in place with the @CityofPhoenixAZ

@MayorGallego would not answer a single ? about the mandate that was announced on Thursday.

All employees must be vaccinated by 1/18/22 To be clear: Vaccine requirements were handled through the city manager's office, and did not require council consent, I'm told.

BREAKING: A Maricopa County judge says the Arizona audit will proceed, BUT he is pausing the audit until Monday at noon.

Effective at 5 pm today. The injunction or pause will not be effective unless the plaintiffs post a $1M bond.

GATES CLOSED: I just got to the Coliseum for the Arizona audit.

I was getting GoPro video of the gates closed.

A man standing there started recording me immediately, so I turned the camera back on.

He won’t even let me IN THE PARKING LOT.

A taxpayer funded lot. I asked the man why are you recording, I guess I’ll start recording to.

He said because I was recording.

Yes. I was recording the GATES CLOSED.

Arizona’s governor issued an emergency order for 6 counties.

I learned ahead of the declaration that the AZ National Guard reached out to some like Cochise Sheriffs Office to see what assistance would be needed if guard deployed.

First interview with Cochise Sheriff... The second part is me asking the governor why the guard reached out before.

Maricopa County is one of those that didn’t request assistance, nor did MCSO.

🧵 INSIGHT IN ARIZONA RESPONSE: After nearly five months of waiting for a public records request, there is now insight into what was said behind the scenes, and what was said publicly during the pandemic. #COVID19

To understand this thread, we go back to the beginning. /1 Arizona state leaders had access to a modeling group, made up of more than 20 Arizona university researchers, experts in statistics, public health, projective models, and economics.

JUST IN: One day after showing the long lines to get the vaccine at State Farm Stadium, lots of changes.

The state is moving to a paid staffing model for the 'majority of staff.'

Volunteer shifts will be reduced from 8 hours to 6 hours.

90 more AZ National Guard members

https://twitter.com/NicoleSGrigg/status/1376987785773510658

New entrance site for staff, volunteers

State is working to reduce no-shows

Also, working on traffic control in and around the state vaccine site.

I asked the state department of health what the goal time is to get people in and out of State Farm Stadium

Typical wait for the vaccine is 30 to 45 minutes.

Today it took me nearly 20 minutes to reach the entrance. 🚗 🚙 the line is constantly moving, but slow right now. This is the longest I have seen backups.
This is the 4th time I’ve been here

Past Maryland Ave.

SCHOOL LAYOFFS? Last Friday over 150 positions cut at Gilbert Public Schools.

Important to note, Arizona has quite a rainy day fund as the governor points out:

https://twitter.com/dougducey/status/1350189657611329536

ABC15 reaching out to
@Supt_Hoffman
office about advocating for our public schools, and if any of this $ could go towards schools.

She calls on Ducey, state lawmakers to fully fund our public schools.

Statement:

PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS: @BannerHealth has shared their pediatric #COVID19 admission data with me across Arizona.

The numbers show that January will likely have 6X the number of admissions than October. (projected) “Symptoms in children are generally more mild than in adults and almost all pediatric patients can recover and be discharged, but the trend we are seeing with more pediatric COVID-19 patients is concerning," Banner tells me.

‘ARIZONA MUST NOW INCREASE MITIGATION EFFORTS AS IT DID IN THE SUMMER TO FLATTEN THE CURVE.’

This is the latest update from the White House report that @ABC has obtained.

But, let’s be clear: doctors, researchers, public health experts have already been saying this for weeks The report states for Arizona, “...increase physical distancing through significant reduction in capacity in public and private indoor spaces...’

I have asked multiple times for this week's White House report for Arizona, and have not received from gov. office.

But, @ABC obtained the latest summary.

It says Maricopa, Pima, Pinal Counties have the highest number of new cases.

#COVID19 It also says that between Oct. 10-16 there was an average of 73 patients with confirmed covid-19, and 192 patients suspected of Covid-19 as newly admitted each day to AZ hospitals.