Election integrity issues in Oro Valley election

by David Safier

Here's what I've heard. If anyone knows more, please comment.

Oro Valley held city elections May 18 along with the Prop 100 vote. Two candidates ran for mayor. Satish Hiremath was the conservative candidate who ran with lots of local business support. Mike Zinkin was the more progressive candidate, supported by Oro Valley progressives.

The election still hasn't been decided. Last I heard, Mike Zinkin was ahead by only 12 votes. If his lead shrinks to 10, there will be an automatic recount.

Here's the problem. This is a nonpartisan election. That means the political parties don't have the right to observe the election process, as they do in partisan elections.

If there's a recount, it will happen under the watchful eyes of Brad Nelson, director of Pima County's elections division, and his staff.

Anyone who is familiar with election integrity battles knows that many people don't consider Brad Nelson an honest broker. The best you can say about him is that he is very sloppy in an field where precision is paramount, especially when a few votes separate the candidates. The worst you can say is that he has participated in influencing or changing election results. Whether one believes the best or the worst, very few people think highly of Nelson's competence, and I would agree.

Someone I talked with today said, if the election comes down to a recount, the fix will be in. Hiremath will come out ahead, no matter what a fair count reveals.