Pima GOP wants election commission revived

County suspended it in COVID response

HAD NO BUSINESS SUSPENDING THECOUNTY ELECTIONS INTEGRITYCOMMISSION -- JUST AS COVID-19IS RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT HOWELECTIONS WILL BE HELD.

BUT AS9 ON YOUR SIDES CRAIG SMITHREPORTS -- THE CHAIRMAN OF THESUPERVISORS SAYS THERE'S NORISK TO THE UPCOMINGELECTIONS.CRAIG: "THERE'S NO ESCAPINGTHEY WAY COVID CHANGESEVERYTHING AND WITH THE STRONGCHANCE IT WILL CHANGE HOWELECTIONS ARE RUN, REPUBLICANSDO NOT WANT TO SEE THEELECTION INTEGRITY COMMISSIONON THE SIDELINES." IN PERSONVOTING WAS ALREADY BECOMINGMORE RARE AS MOREJURISDICTIONS ENCOURAGE MAILIN BALLOTS, NOW WITH THE PUSHFOR SOCIAL DISTANCINGELECTIONS WILL PROBABLY CHANGEEVEN MORE.

BUT EARLIER THISMONTH, PIMA SUPERVISORSSUSPENDED THE ELECTIONSINTEGRITY COMMISSION, ALONGWITH ALL OTHER BOARDS ANDCOMMISSIONS EXCEPT THE SMALLBUSINESS COMMISSION---IT'SSEEN AS ESSENTIAL FORRECOVERY.

BOARD CHAIRMAN RAMONVALADEZ SAYS IT'S HARD TODEVOTE COUNTY STAFF TO THECOMMISSIONS WITH SO MANYWORKING REMOTELY BECAUSE OFTHE VIRUS.

BUT PIMA COUNTYREPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN DAVIDEPPIHIMER REJECTS THATARGUMENT.

IT'S JUST ASMOKESCREEN, THEY'RE USING THECOVID-19 SITUATION AS ANEXCUSE TO KIND OF TALK THISELECTION WITHOUT OVERS WITHOUTCITIZEN OVERSIGHT." EPPIHIMERSAYS THE COMMISSION COULD WORKBY TELECONFERENCE FOR SOCIALDISTANCING.

HE THINKS THERE'SSOME PAYBACK FOR REPUBLICANCOMMISSION MEMBER BEINGAGGRESSIVE ABOUT DOING TTHEIRJOBS.

WHILE EPPIHIMER SAYS THECOMMISSION SHOULD BE INVOLVEDIN PRE- PLANNING THE ELECTION,VALADEZ SAYS THE COMMISSION'SMAIN WORK COMES AFTER AND BOTHPOLITICAL PARTIES WILL GET THECHANCE TO MONITOR THEELECTION.

THEY'RE GOING TO BEINVOLVED IN THE BALLOTACCOUNTING, THEY'RE GOING TOBE INVOLVED IN THE SECURITYCHECKS, THERE'S GOING TO BEINVOLVED IN THE OBSERVATION.VALADEZ SAYS THAT'S WHY HECALLS THIS A MADE UP ISSUE BUTREPUBLICANS INSIST IT'SIMPORTANT AND THEY WANT THECOMMISSION REVIVED IN TIME TOPLAN FOR PRIMARY ELECTIONSTHIS SUMMER.

CRAIG SMITH KGUN9ON YOUR SIDETHERE ARE NOW OVER