Federal Probe Lacks 2020 Arizona Ballots

Destroyed ballots from Maricopa County will not be part of federal election investigation.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 12:03pm

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Federal authorities are investigating the findings of Arizona's recount of Maricopa County's 2020 ballots, but they will not have access to the actual ballots themselves. The ballots from the 2020 election have been destroyed and will not be available for the federal probe.

Why it matters

The lack of physical ballots raises concerns about the thoroughness and credibility of the federal investigation, as the ballots would have provided crucial evidence and documentation of the 2020 election process in Arizona.

The details

Arizona officials confirmed that the ballots from the 2020 election in Maricopa County have been destroyed and will not be available for the federal authorities to review as part of their investigation into the 2020 election results. This decision by state officials has drawn criticism from those who believe the ballots should be preserved for further scrutiny.

  • The federal investigation into the 2020 Arizona election results is currently ongoing.
  • The Maricopa County ballots from the 2020 election were destroyed prior to the start of the federal probe.

The players

Federal Authorities

Government officials conducting an investigation into the findings of Arizona's recount of the 2020 election results in Maricopa County.

Arizona Officials

State-level government representatives who made the decision to destroy the Maricopa County ballots from the 2020 election prior to the federal investigation.

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What’s next

The federal investigation will proceed without access to the physical ballots, raising questions about the completeness and reliability of the probe's findings.

The takeaway

The destruction of the 2020 ballots from Maricopa County ahead of the federal investigation raises concerns about transparency and accountability in the electoral process, and could undermine public trust in the integrity of the probe's conclusions.