These items are crucial for accessing the county’s ballot tabulation machines. The incident occurred just a month before the state's primary election, according to The Independent.
Ringfield, 27, was apprehended by Maricopa County detectives while on duty at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, as reported by Votebeat. The county staff had noticed the disappearance of a lanyard that held the security fob and plastic key, and subsequently accused Ringfield of the theft. Ringfield, who had previously shown interest in running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate, allegedly admitted to detectives that he had taken the security fob for a brief period of 20 minutes before returning it.
This incident comes at a time when Arizona continues to be a hotbed of contention in presidential elections. Maricopa County, the state's largest, has been embroiled in allegations of election fraud and improper ballot counting in recent elections. Following the incident, Ringfield was dismissed from his position and taken into custody, with his release pending judicial approval.
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The missing lanyard and its contents, which are used to program vote-counting machines, were noticed by county staff on a Friday morning. By the time of the incident, the voting machines had already been tested and programmed, ready for the dispatch of mail-in ballots on July 3rd.
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Upon reviewing security footage from the previous day, county election staff members reportedly spotted Ringfield pocketing the red wrist lanyard. When confronted, Ringfield maintained his innocence, claiming that if he had taken the lanyard, it was unintentional. The red plastic lanyard and key were later found in the center console of his vehicle. A subsequent search warrant executed at Ringfield’s residence led to the discovery of the fob atop a dresser.
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In light of these events, the county’s election department has decided to repeat pre-election logic and accuracy testing. This incident has unfolded in the lead-up to the state’s July 30th primary election, which will decide the candidates for several state and federal races in the November ballot. Arizona had conducted its presidential primaries earlier.
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Maricopa County was embroiled in controversy during the 2020 election when former President Donald Trump and his allies alleged widespread voter fraud and false election results in the state, particularly in Maricopa County. However, an audit of the 2020 presidential election results in the state found no evidence to support these claims of widespread voter fraud.
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The recent incident at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center has raised eyebrows, but officials were quick to quell any concerns about election security in the county. The Arizona Secretary of State issued a statement, saying, “Our systems are not only designed to detect anomalies but are also supported by dedicated professionals committed to upholding the democratic process.”
The Secretary lauded the “quick response” and “swift action” of the county election staff and their decision to reconduct logic and accuracy tests on the ballot counting machines. The statement continued, “This quick response will prevent any potential impact on the upcoming elections. The Secretary of State’s office will collaborate with law enforcement to address and investigate this incident to ensure accountability and swift justice.”
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Ringfield’s father, Walter Ringfield Sr, expressed his desire to “wait to pass judgment until all of the facts come out” in a phone interview with Votebeat. He expressed his love for his son, who recently graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in political science.
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Earlier this year, Ringfield had submitted a candidate statement of interest, indicating his intention to pursue the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in the state’s primary election. The Independent has sought comment from the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office regarding the incident.
