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Cochise County supervisors direct chair to send DOJ letter on voting‑system accreditation
Summary
At a Sept. 16 special meeting, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 to direct Chair Frank Antinori to sign a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice about voting‑system accreditation and certification following an executive session under Arizona law.
COCHISE COUNTY, Ariz. — At a special meeting Sept. 16, the Cochise County Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 to direct Chair Frank Antinori to sign a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice concerning voting‑system accreditation and certification.
The board convened in the Executive Conference Room (with remote access available) and voted after an executive session held under Arizona Revised Statutes 38‑431.03(A)(3), the statute that allows executive sessions for legal advice. Supervisor Gomez moved to direct the chair to sign the letter; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The board president said a copy of the letter will be attached to the meeting agenda and posted on the county website.
The matter traces to earlier board discussions this year, including a June 19 work session and an Aug. 5 presentation by an outside presenter identified in prior meetings. During the Sept. 16 discussion, participants discussed accreditation and certification of voting‑system testing entities (referred to in the meeting as VSTLs) and the legal history of a related case that previously was removed to federal court and did not proceed there on Dec. 1, 2022. The transcript does not identify a specific enforcement demand; the board’s action was to authorize the chair to transmit the letter to the Department of Justice.
The board convened the executive session pursuant to ARS 38‑431.03(A)(3) and returned to open session before making the authorsizing motion. County staff and legal counsel attended the executive session; the board announced it had concluded the closed discussion before voting in public.
The meeting notice said attachments might be updated after publication; the board indicated the letter would be attached to the posted agenda item and available on the county website. The supervisors also noted the meeting would reconvene in five minutes for a separate agenda item: a discussion and possible direction regarding settlement agreement terms in LaChance v. Cochise County.
Attendance at the meeting was recorded as the three supervisors present in person; county legal staff and other staff members attended in person or online, according to the meeting record.
