Maricopa County Board of Supervisors chair Bill Gates told reporters in a briefing that threats to election officials have become “a part of life for me and my colleagues” while providing updates on Arizona’s ballot count.
Gates, alongside county recorder Stephen Richer, answered questions on Thursday regarding increased security at the tabulation and election center and said that threats to the center and its employees have been consistent since the 2020 presidential election.
“That is now a part of life for me and my colleagues,” Gates said. “And it shouldn’t be. It shouldn’t be for all the election workers and election officials across the county, but that’s now a way of life. And more people need to state speaking out and saying that is absolutely unacceptable.”
Gates added that he had a message for people who were continuing to threaten election officials.
“I would have them just stop for a second and think about my grandpa,” he said. “My grandpa was a World War II veteran who was in Europe… and he helped to defeat the Germans. I want them to think about that, what he was over there fighting for.
“He was not fighting for their right to pick up a phone or type in a text threatening someone’s life,” Gates continued. “He was fighting for the right of each and every one of us to vote and select our own leaders. So my grandpa would not be cool with that, and to me that says it all.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.