In February 2023, the Arizona Court of Appeals issued an opinion
in Audit-USA v. Maricopa County, 525 P.3d 279 (Ariz.
App. 2023) [CA-CV 22-0254], addressing the fundamentals of
Arizona's public records laws.
Background
In February 2021, Audit-USA made a public records request
to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for digital images and
associated data of ballots cast in the November 2020 election.
Maricopa County did not respond to the request, so Audit-USA filed
suit under A.R.S. § 39-121.02, which governs recourse when a
public body denies access to public records.
Maricopa County provided Audit-USA with a copy of some of the
requested data, but withheld the digital images of the cast
ballots. Maricopa County subsequently filed a motion to dismiss on
the grounds that A.R.S. § 16-625 expressly prohibits the
circulation of digital images of ballots.