Arizona county quick to bat down election misinformation

By BOB CHRISTIE
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Officials in Arizona’s most populous county have aggressively batted down rumors and slanted and false claims as vote counting has come under intense scrutiny in the battleground state. The accusations have come in all types and at all hours from former President Trump and his supporters, Republican candidates and voters. Maricopa County’s leaders have had two years to hone their game, after they faced a similar barrage after the 2020 election lost by Trump. Republican board of supervisor Chairman Bill Gates says the county has learned to respond quickly and accurately. In the governor’s race, Democrat Katie Hobbs on Monday defeated Republican Kari Lake, who has refused to say she would accept the race’s results.