PHOENIX — Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story mis-identified Kari Lake as one of the plaintiffs in the case.
One of the nation’s largest election service companies is opening its doors to media and other guests. Runbeck Election Services is on track to produce and deliver more than 85 million ballots this year.
“In many ways, this is critical to helping democracy function,” said Jeff Ellington, CEO of Runbeck.
Lawsuit against company now in the past
Runbeck was the target of defeated gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. After the 2022 election, Lake’s arguments for election corruption rested on the belief ballots were injected into the total at the Runbeck facility, as reported by Axios last year.
Lake's attorney, Brian Blehm, represented Lake and the nonprofit, We the People Alliance, in several election-related lawsuits. The plaintiff in this lawsuit, We the People Alliance, opted not to appeal a judge’s decision in a lawsuit brought against Runbeck.
The nonprofit's public records lawsuit claimed it was justified to receive a copy of Runbeck surveillance video on a loading dock during the 2022 election. A judge ruled there was no evidence to back claims of wrongdoing made by Lake's allies and the nonprofit. The judge wrote in his ruling, “Plaintiff’s desire that something be true does not make it true.”
Lake has a close relationship with We the People Alliance. As recently as Sunday, Lake told a crowd of supporters in Prescott, “we’re about to file another (lawsuit) at the Supreme Court.” Lake then introduced Shelby Busch, co-founder of We the People Alliance and referred to her “like a sister.”
“These case are powerful. We are working on some things that are mind blowing,” Lake told the audience.
Runbeck defends its position
On Wednesday, Ellington defended his company’s decision not to release the video.
“It’s a valid question. I personally believe there’s a delineation between government and private business and so it was much about principle that we fought it,” Ellington said.
Ellington’s attorneys also argued that releasing the video would open the door to frivolous open records requests and lawsuits nationwide against government contractors.
Private contractors are target of conspiracy theories
Private contractors of elections, once mostly ignored, are now the subject of a wide range of false conspiracy theories.
Ellington said the most common myth about his company is that they have a secret basement.
“It would be kind of cool if we had a bat cave but we don’t,” he said.
More than 60 election lawsuits brought by former President Trump and allies after the 2020 election all failed across the country. The Department of Justice, the courts and a partisan audit by the Arizona State Senate concluded there was no evidence of election tampering or systematic fraud.
6,000 miles of paper in 2024 elections
Runbeck hosts tours so members of the public can see up close the first step in the election process. The company prints, cuts, folds and seals ballots and envelopes before shipping them to one of more than 120 counties nationwide. Each ballot must strictly comply with the rules and laws of each county.
“Having ballots, being able to print them on paper, and hold audits of the ballots is critical to what we do and what the nation needs,” Ellington said.
This year, Runbeck will deliver ballots to 24 states for three elections: presidential preference elections, primaries and the general election. The ballots will amount to about 6,000 miles of paper.
Ellington said his company continues to make “tweaks” to protocol and security.
“(A security threat) could be anything. It could be people outside protesting and preventing trucks from leaving. Someone getting in to see what’s going on. Cyber hits,” Ellington said.
Editor's Note: 12News has updated this article to clarify the identity of the plaintiff in the lawsuit against Runbeck.
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