A social media post from journalist Rachel Alexander alleges that Maricopa County’s ballot adjudication process in Arizona’s 2026 governor’s race sent some Republican votes for Andy Biggs to Democrat Katie Hobbs. The claim—and a data screenshot showing more than half of adjudicated ballots flagged as overvotes—has not been independently verified.
What the source claims
Alexander posted on X that she received a message from someone identifying as an adjudicator at the Maricopa County Ballot Tabulation Center. According to Alexander’s post, the source said ballots marked for Biggs but also marked for Hobbs—with an X through Biggs—were treated as overvotes and then resolved by removing the Biggs mark because the X indicated a change of mind, leaving the vote for Hobbs. The message also described ballots marked for both Biggs and another Republican, Joe Lombardo, as overvotes where neither candidate’s vote counted. The source further alleged unsecured ballot storage in a hallway.
Alexander attributed this language to the source: “This is how they stole votes and shaved votes imho.” The Gateway Pundit framed the allegations in the context of the 2026 Arizona gubernatorial race, where it said Hobbs was declared the winner over Biggs.
The numbers Alexander posted
In a follow-up, Alexander shared a breakdown she said came from the adjudication process between November 1–6, totaling 153,404 ballots routed to adjudication. By her figures:
• Overvotes: 54.70%
• Ambiguous: 27.82%
• Write-in: 17.27%
Alexander said daily adjudication counts ranged from roughly 5,500 to over 14,000. She wrote, “I smell a rat.”
What’s not established
These allegations rely on an unverified message and a screenshot posted on X. The material does not, on its own, prove that Republican votes were wrongly discarded or reassigned. The Gateway Pundit article did not include a response from Maricopa County officials. Alexander’s other cited concerns—such as reports of broken tabulators, site-book failures, and party-registration issues—are also presented as allegations she has documented and that county officials dismissed.
Why it matters
Adjudication decides how ballots with errors or conflicting marks are counted. If the figures Alexander posted are accurate, the unusually high share of overvotes among adjudicated ballots would merit explanation. Independent verification, chain-of-custody clarity, and an official response from Maricopa County would be required to assess the claims.
