An election worker in Maricopa County Arizona was arrested for allegedly stealing the digital magnetic key for the county's vote-counting machines.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) provided details of the situation and addressed that the force is prepared for any election-related crime.
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MCSO Arrested Election Worker for Alleged Theft
Walter Ringfield has been working at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center (MCTEC) as a temporary officer. On June 20, an employee reported that the red lanyard with the keys and a digital fob had gone missing.
The surveillance footage showed that Ringfield was the last person to pick up the keys that could be used to unlock the vote-counting machines. Ringfield denied the theft but suggested that he could have mistakenly taken it as his car key.
According to the MCSO, the red lanyard with a matching plastic tag was found in the vehicle but the fob was missing. The officers arrested Ringfield the following day as the MCSO alleges that he admitted to taking the fob.
Election Officials Prep for Related Crimes as Voting Nears
The MCSO explained that the missing fob could be used to alter vote tallies if used by threat actors. During the press conference, the officials showed an example of the digital magnetic key that was allegedly stolen.
The election officials announced that they had reprogrammed all of the system's keys after the incident was reported. The officials also emphasized the importance of the incident to be resolved immediately.
"From my understanding, the stolen digital magnetic key is something that has the potential to actually log into the tabulation machines at MCTEC. So you can understand the concern and the implication that might have," said Sheriff Russ Skinner.
Skinner also reminded the public that they will remain vigilant and will take necessary actions to ensure that the election will remain secure and safe.
