Arizona Election Worker Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Security Fob for Maricopa County Voting Tabulator

Court papers seen by CNN show that a temporary election worker in Arizona was arrested on Saturday for allegedly stealing a security fob and keys from the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center.

Since 2020, Maricopa County in Arizona, in particular, has been a hub for election conspiracy ideas. In a statement released Monday, the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office said that the fact that this security incident was reported by Maricopa County officials showed that the county’s safety measures for elections are working. There were worries that the event could be used to fuel more conspiracy ideas in the state, so it happened.

Walter Ringfield told police that he was a temporary worker at the tabulation center. He is being charged with theft and criminal harm. A local source told CNN that he is still being held by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office while he waits for his next court date in a separate felony case against him.

Documents from court say that Ringfield was seen on security video walking past a desk and several adders just after 5 p.m. on June 20.

Court papers say that the surveillance video then shows Ringfield stopping at the desk, taking a lanyard with the keys and security fob on it, and putting it in his pocket.

His elections boss told Ringfield that he stole the security fob and keys, and he let security search his car.

Detectives in Arizona finally carried out a search warrant at Ringfield’s house and found the fob there.

Investigators say that during the election, the security fobs are used with special encryption computers. Court papers say that every fob and tablet needs to be reset because one was taken away.

Investigators were told by a head at the elections office that it would cost more than $19,000 to buy new security fobs and tablets.

Court papers say that the reprogramming will make it much harder for the center to run safely until it is done.

Ringfield’s first court date was on Saturday, and he was told that he would have to stay in jail until his next court date on Thursday because he was facing another felony charge. Video from his hearing shows this. Ringfield looked confused when the judge told him about the other case that was still being heard, since he thought the separate matter had already been settled.

Right away, it wasn’t clear if Ringfield has a lawyer.

It was said in a statement to CNN that what happened at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center “should reassure the public about the effectiveness of the security measures in place.”

“Not only are our systems built to spot problems, but they are also backed up by dedicated professionals who are committed to upholding the democratic process.” “While this is an unfortunate event, it shows how well Arizona’s election systems are protected,” the statement read.

“The quick actions of the Maricopa County elections staff, such as re-running the logic and accuracy tests, add extra layers of protection to all the equipment that was affected.” “This quick response will keep the upcoming elections from being affected in any way,” the office said.