Claims that the 2020 election in Arizona was “stolen” have circulated for years, often resurfacing with dramatic language and large, eye-catching numbers. The latest viral version alleges 255,000 unregistered ballots, 23,000 double votes, 9,000 more ballots received than mailed, 50,000 fake ballots, and voting machines “remotely flipping and deleting votes” in Maricopa County. It concludes that Donald Trump won Arizona biggly.
What to Know…
Multiple Reviews Confirmed the Outcome – Arizona’s 2020 results were certified by Republican officials, reviewed in a hand recount, examined in a partisan audit, and challenged in court; none found evidence sufficient to overturn the outcome.
Widely Shared Fraud Numbers Were Misinterpreted – Claims about hundreds of thousands of “illegal” ballots stemmed from audit categories flagged for review, not verified fraud. Follow-up explanations and investigations did not substantiate those allegations.
No Proof of Machine Manipulation Was Produced – Allegations that voting machines remotely flipped or deleted votes were investigated but not supported by evidence in audits or court proceedings.
Here’s what the evidence actually shows.
The Official Results
In 2020, Arizona’s certified results showed Joe Biden winning the state by 10,457 votes. The results were certified by Arizona’s Republican governor at the time, Doug Ducey, and upheld after multiple reviews and legal challenges.
More than 60 lawsuits filed nationwide by Trump and his allies failed in state and federal courts, including cases specific to Arizona. Judges, including several appointed by Trump, found no evidence of outcome-changing fraud.
Did the Arizona 2020 election audit find evidence of voter fraud?
No credible audit found widespread voter fraud that would have altered the outcome. Reviews by state officials, investigators, and the Republican-led Arizona Senate audit did not substantiate claims of tens of thousands of illegal ballots. Isolated issues were flagged for review, but none were proven to change the certified result.
The “255,000 Unregistered Ballots” Claim
This figure traces back to misinterpretations of data cited during the Republican-led review conducted by the Arizona Senate and carried out by Cyber Ninjas in 2021.
The final Cyber Ninjas report did not find 255,000 illegal ballots. Instead, it listed categories of ballots for further review, such as voters who moved within the county or discrepancies in database timestamps. Election officials explained these were largely clerical or data-entry timing issues, not proof of illegal votes.
Importantly, the review’s own tally confirmed that Biden won Maricopa County; in fact, it found 99 more votes for Biden than the official count and slightly fewer for Trump.
The audit did not reverse the outcome.
The “23,000 Double Votes” Allegation
No credible audit, court proceeding, or law enforcement investigation substantiated 23,000 double votes in Arizona.
Arizona’s Republican Attorney General at the time, Mark Brnovich, investigated fraud allegations related to the 2020 election. His office did not find evidence of widespread double voting or fraud sufficient to alter the result.
Isolated cases of improper voting were investigated, as happens in most elections, but they numbered in the dozens, not tens of thousands.
Did the Arizona recount change the results of the 2020 election?
No. Arizona’s hand count audit and the later full ballot review confirmed the original outcome. In fact, the final Arizona Senate-commissioned review reported slightly more votes for Joe Biden than the initial certified tally, leaving his statewide victory intact.
“9,000 More Ballots Than Mailed”
This claim also emerged from misunderstood audit language. Election officials explained that the figure reflected differences in early database pulls and reporting categories, not ballots materializing without being sent.
Maricopa County’s Republican election officials publicly rebutted these claims in detailed briefings, explaining that ballot tracking systems reconcile mail ballots through multiple verification steps, including signature matching and chain-of-custody procedures.
No evidence has demonstrated that thousands of ballots were received without being mailed.
“50,000 Potential Fake Ballots”
Again, this figure referred to ballots flagged for review because of address changes or database timing discrepancies, not proven fraud. In large counties with millions of records, voter file updates can create apparent mismatches when data snapshots are compared at different times.
Follow-up reviews did not substantiate claims of tens of thousands of fraudulent ballots.
Claims of Voting Machines “Remotely Flipping Votes”
Allegations about machines being connected to the internet and flipping or deleting votes have been repeatedly investigated.
Maricopa County used systems certified under federal and state guidelines. Reviews by the county, state officials, and independent experts found no evidence that machines were connected to the internet during vote tabulation or that votes were remotely altered.
The Cyber Ninjas report itself did not provide proof of vote-flipping. Courts also found no admissible evidence demonstrating machine manipulation.
What did the Cyber Ninjas audit conclude in Arizona?
The Cyber Ninjas review, commissioned by the Arizona Senate, did not overturn the election results. Its final report acknowledged various procedural concerns and recommended election process improvements but ultimately confirmed that Biden won Maricopa County and the state.
The Hand Recount
Arizona conducted a hand count audit of a sample of ballots in Maricopa County shortly after the election, as required by state law. That audit matched the machine count within expected margins. The later full ballot review commissioned by the Arizona Senate similarly confirmed the overall outcome.
Despite promotional language used by outlets such as One America News Network (OAN), the audit did not conclude that Trump won Arizona.
What Multiple Reviews Found
Arizona’s 2020 election results were:
- Certified by Republican state officials
- Reviewed in a hand count audit
- Examined in a months-long partisan audit
- Litigated in court
- Investigated by the state attorney general
None of these processes found evidence of widespread fraud capable of overturning the result. Even the most publicized review, the Arizona Senate’s audit, ultimately reaffirmed Biden’s victory in the state.
Bottom Line
The viral claims that Arizona’s 2020 election was “massively and blatantly” stolen in Maricopa County are not supported by verified evidence.
Large numbers cited in social media posts often originate from preliminary audit categories, misinterpreted database discrepancies, or claims that were later clarified, debunked, or left unsubstantiated. After multiple audits, investigations, and court cases, there is no verified evidence that tens of thousands of illegal ballots were cast, that voting machines flipped votes, or that the certified outcome in Arizona was reversed.
The 2020 Arizona result stands as officially certified and repeatedly reviewed, and claims to the contrary have not been proven in court or substantiated by credible audits.