The Maricopa County Republican Committee Executive Guidance Committee (MCRC EGC) demanded on Saturday that Arizona Republican Party Chairman Jeff DeWit withdraw the Arizona GOP from a government-run 2024 Arizona Presidential Preference Election by Friday.
The Presidential Preference Election (PPE) is an election in which voters can choose who they would like to be their presidential candidate in the upcoming General Election. Party winners of the Arizona PPE are officially determined at the party’s national convention.
This follows the MCRC EGC holding an emergency meeting last week where they adopted a resolution demanding the Arizona GOP withdraw from a government-run election and instead conduct its statewide election for the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
The resolution not only demands that DeWit (pictured above) withdraw the Arizona GOP from the PPE 2024 election but also that the Arizona GOP would conduct its statewide election for the Republican presidential nominee on paper ballots in a one-day, one-vote election, hand-counted at the precinct level.
The resolution details that the Maricopa County Republican Precinct Committeeman will develop the manner of the election, and the Arizona Republican State Committeemen will vote on and adopt how they conduct the election at the January 2024 Arizona GOP mandatory meeting.
According to MCRC Chairman Craig Berland, the Republican party must stand up for transparency and integrity on Election Day.
“At this most critical point in all our lifetime, and in the spirit of keeping the Republic for the sake of past, present, and future generations, the Republican Party must be proactive in protecting and defending We The People’s sacred Right to Vote. The 2024 Arizona Republican PPE offers the perfect opportunity for the Republican Party to Stand for Election Integrity on Election Day, proving we can hold elections that are as fair and honest as they are open and transparent: on paper ballots, in a one-day, one-vote election, hand-counted at the precinct level,” Berland said.
According to Berland, this historic resolution aims to reclaim the PPE from a government that repeatedly failed Arizona. Berland added that the actions taken by the MCRC are in solidarity with former President Donald J. Trump, who has been persecuted, arrested, and indicted for taking these very same positions.
The MCRC called on DeWit to “stand up and do what’s right for Arizona” by withdrawing the Arizona GOP from the government-run Arizona PPE before the Friday deadline. It is also encouraging all Republicans to contact DeWit to let him know that they are not only aware of the resolution but are strongly urging him to follow through by the deadline.
According to MCRC Precinct Committeeman Brian Ference, time is of the essence.
“We need to move fast so he clearly understands how many of us are in favor of this,” Ference said.
The Arizona Sun Times reached out to DeWit for comment but did not receive a reply before press time.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star, The Star News Network, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Jeff DeWit” by Jeff DeWit. Background Photo “Voting Booths” by Tim Evanson. CC BY-SA 2.0.
