Sasha HupkaArizona Republic
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Officials say a temporary elections employee stole a security fob from Maricopa County's vote tabulation headquarters last week — but investigators say there's no evidence to suggest the theft was politically motivated.
Walter Ringfield, a 27-year-old Phoenix resident who isn’t currently registered as a member of a political party in Arizona, took the fob on the evening of June 20 from the facility, officials said. In a statement, officials said the fob was recovered and they will reprogram and retest election equipment to “ensure the integrity” of the upcoming state primary.
"The security fobs are used in conjunction with special secure tablets during the election," Maricopa County Sheriff's Office detectives said in court documents. "A director at the facility stated that the estimated cost of the reprogramming would be greater than $19,000 dollars, and the secure operation of the facility is greatly impeded until the reprogramming is complete."
Officials said Tuesday that the fob wouldn't have allowed Ringfield to independently operate the county's tabulators. The machines also require passcodes, they said.
Another key on the lanyard opens a blue bin beneath the machine that holds ballots following vote tallying, officials said. The vote tallying process was not occurring last week. Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates said Tuesday that the incident shouldn't have "any impact whatsoever" on the upcoming state primary.
"Hopefully, what it should do, is instill even more confidence in folks out in the community," he said, noting election officials were aware of the theft within hours and the fob was found quickly.
A Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesperson confirmed Ringfield was in custody on the morning of June 24. Court documents show he is charged with felony criminal damage and misdemeanor theft, and that a search warrant was executed on his home.
He is being held without bail, according to court documents. Sheriff Russ Skinner said Tuesday that investigators are continuing to actively look into the theft and are combing through digital and physical evidence. He said there isn't "any indication" that the fob was stolen in an effort to influence the election.
"But, we're not ruling it out," Skinner said. "We're going to leave no stone unturned... but at this point, we do not have anything that indicates that."
The case comes just over a week before early ballots are set to go out to voters for the state primary. In recent years, election operations have been subject to increased scrutiny nationwide amid a polarized political climate and the spread of voting conspiracies.
In Maricopa County, the state's most populous, election officials have seen threats and harassment. They also saw widespread technical issues with their ballot printers on Election Day in 2022, which led to lines at some polling sites and damaged voter trust.
Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said Monday that the county's "quick" response to the stolen security fob should give voters confidence that its security measures work.
"Our systems are not only designed to detect anomalies but are also supported by dedicated professionals committed to upholding the democratic process," Fontes said. "While this event is unwelcome, it speaks the effectiveness of the security protocols built into Arizona’s election systems."
Election officials said on June 24 that Ringfield was hired on June 3 as a temporary ballot tabulation center operator. A background check was required and came back without any criminal convictions, according to an Elections Department spokesperson.
But court documents show Ringfield was previously charged with pocketing more than $1,000 in cash from Fry's Food And Drug last year. The case never went to a conviction. Instead, Ringfield entered a diversion program and prosecution was suspended.
Ringfield was terminated on June 21, county officials said on June 24.
The Arizona Republic was not immediately able to reach Ringfield for comment. His father, Walter Ringfield Sr., declined to immediately comment when contacted by The Republic.
A review of voter records shows Ringfield registered as an independent in 2015. Less than a year later, he briefly registered as a Democrat. In recent primary elections, he has requested Democratic ballots.
An Instagram account that appears to belong to Ringfield includes photos of him with Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Amy Klobuchar. But he also appears to use a Truth Social account that includes links to conservative outlets such as the Epoch Times and Gateway Pundit. Other social media accounts that appear to be Ringfield's were made private or deleted as of Monday afternoon.
What to know: Arizona's primary election is July 30. Here's how to register, vote early and more
Charging documents lay out reported theft of security fob
Security cameras captured Ringfield taking the fob out of the county's tabulation room, according to court documents.
"Suspect, Walter Ringfield, was seen on surveillance cameras walking past a desk and multiple tabulators," the documents read. "On the desk there was a red scrunchy wrist lanyard with a security fob and keys attached., Walter stops at the desk, grabs the security fob and continues walking."
Ringfield put the fob into the pocket of his shorts, officials say.
He initially denied taking the fob to county officials. Detectives with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office later questioned Ringfield. He told them that he took the fob, but said he gave it back to county officials after about 20 minutes.
"Walter stated his reason for taking the fob was because he wanted to 'clean up,'" detectives wrote in court documents. "Walter said the job was temporary and he was trying to make it permanent, so he wanted to clean up."
Detectives ultimately executed a search warrant at Ringfield's home. They said they found the fob inside the master bedroom of the residence, on top of a dresser.
Sasha Hupka covers county government and election administration for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter:@SashaHupka. Follow her on Instagram or Threads:@sashahupkasnaps.
