Arizona audit loses tech company that was leading hand recount

An information technology company has backed out of running the hand recount of ballots in the infamous Arizona election audit.

The contract with Pennsylvania-based Wake TSI ended as scheduled on May 14, the original completion date for the hand count of ballots cast in Maricopa County, and the company chose not to renew its contract, reported AZCentral.

"They were done," said Randy Pullen, an audit spokesperson and former state GOP chair. "They didn't want to come back."

The Scottsdale-based technology company StratTech Solutions is now in charge of the hand count, although it's not clear the firm has any election or auditing experience.

Senate Republicans had boasted of Wake TSI's experience when announcing participants in the audit, having performed a 2020 election hand count in Fulton County, Pennsylvania.