Arizona Election Audit to Resume Amid GOP Infighting

Critics, including some Arizona Republicans, say the audit has been mismanaged and run by an unqualified contractor and that it could undermine confidence in the voting system by amplifying unproven allegations. The dispute is the latest example of divisions within the party over how to reckon with President Biden’s election win.

In a recent letter sent to Karen Fann, the Republican president of Arizona’s senate, the GOP-majority Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and other county officials said the audit wasn’t being conducted in good faith. “Your ‘audit,’ no matter what your intentions were in the beginning, has become a spectacle that is harming all of us,” they wrote. “Our state has become a laughingstock. Worse, this ‘audit’ is encouraging our citizens to distrust elections, which weakens our democratic republic.”

Ms. Fann said the audit isn’t intended to overturn the county’s election results, which were certified for Mr. Biden. Instead, she said many voters still have questions about the integrity of the voting system and that the audit is meant to provide answers. She also said that the audit will help lawmakers determine whether there are reasons to change Arizona’s election procedures to ensure the security of the system.

“This audit is only about either verifying or dispelling concerns, questions, rumors that are out there,” Ms. Fann said. She said the process isn’t being mismanaged.

The audit represents the latest fight over the 2020 contest. Former President Donald Trump has claimed that widespread fraud caused his loss, despite no evidence of extensive wrongdoing and a finding by his own Justice Department that there was no fraud significant enough to question the election outcome. Recently, Mr. Trump has issued statements applauding the Maricopa audit and making claims of widespread irregularities in last November’s election, without providing evidence.

Around the country, election rules are in the spotlight following the contentious 2020 election. In several states, Republican-controlled legislatures have passed new laws they say are needed to improve election security and faith in the voting system. Democrats and civil-rights advocates say the changes will suppress access to voting, especially for minority voters.

In Georgia, a state judge on Friday ordered Fulton County, which votes heavily Democratic, to allow a voting group to inspect and scan absentee ballots cast there in the 2020 general election. Georgia election officials previously conducted two statewide audits of roughly five million votes cast, which found no evidence of widespread fraud and confirmed that Mr. Biden won the state.

Maricopa County officials have completed their own audits of the November election. One was a recount of a sample of ballots, which found no issues. Additionally, two federally accredited firms examined Maricopa’s voting machines and said they passed the testing, according to the county.

The current audit, which is taking place at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, was paused for about a week for graduation ceremonies. Auditors say they expect to finish by the end of June.

The auditors are recounting the presidential and U.S. Senate races, as well as examining voting machines and other election records, according to spokespeople for the effort. Democrats won both races.

Republican state Sen. Paul Boyer said he supported the idea of an audit, but that this one has been mismanaged. “I think this is a gift to the Democratic Party,” Mr. Boyer said. “If my own…party leaders are sowing distrust in the electoral process through this, whatever this outcome is, I think you’re going to see less turnout by Republicans.”

Mr. Boyer said he is concerned about the lead contractor on the audit, Cyber Ninjas Inc. Critics say the Florida firm lacks experience auditing elections and that its chief executive, Doug Logan, has promoted conspiracy theories about election fraud.

Mr. Logan has said his company is an experienced cybersecurity firm and that his opinions are beside the point because he is conducting a transparent audit.

Election observers sent by Arizona’s secretary of state, Democrat Katie Hobbs, said they saw ballots left unattended on tables, counters receiving training on the fly, and the use of cellphones on the counting floor, among other issues, according to a letter she sent to Ken Bennett, a spokesman for the audit effort and former Republican Arizona secretary of state.

“We observed several things that deviate wildly from best practices for election security,” Ryan Macias, one of the observers and a former official with the federal Election Assistance Commission, told reporters on a recent conference call.

A spokesman for Cyber Ninjas, Rod Thomson, said in an email, “This is not only the most comprehensive audit in American history, it is the most transparent.” Mr. Thomson said that the counting floor has been livestreamed to provide accountability, along with other transparency measures.

Another issue is funding. The Arizona Senate will pay Cyber Ninjas $150,000 and cover some other costs of the audit, Ms. Fann said. But outside groups and supporters have said they are raising money to support the audit. The spokesman for Cyber Ninjas declined to comment on how much money the firm has accepted from outside groups, but Ms. Fann said that the firm told her it will disclose more information.

Critics have called for more transparency. “What we’re seeing happen is not an audit,” Ms. Hobbs, the secretary of state, said. “It is a fundraising stunt.”

Write to Alexa Corse at alexa.corse@wsj.com