'Crazy Times Carnival' to take place on same grounds as Maricopa County election audit

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'Crazy Times Carnival' to take place on same grounds as Maricopa County election audit

https://eu.azcentral.com/story/news/loc ... 876686001/

'Crazy Times Carnival' to take place on same grounds as Maricopa County election audit
NICOLE SADEK | Arizona Republic

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'Crazy Times Carnival' at Arizona State Fairgrounds
The senate president said the coliseum will follow new security protocols to accommodate for an increased number of visitors to the site.
The Arizona State Fairgrounds announced Monday that a new carnival will kick off Thursday on the same grounds where a Maricopa County election audit is taking place.

The "Crazy Times Carnival" is scheduled to run 11 nights outside the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, where auditors are hand counting nearly 2.1 million ballots cast in the November 2020 general election.

Maintaining security at the coliseum has been a key concern during the audit.

Jen Yee, a spokesperson for the fairgrounds, said the carnival will be fenced off, with the north lot set aside for audit parking.

The fairgrounds marketing team brainstormed names for possible live events early in the pandemic "when the world first imploded," Yee said. They came up with "Crazy Times Carnival" well before the Nov. 3 election or before anyone imagined a ballot recount happening inside the coliseum.

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The carnival and security concerns
The "Crazy Times Carnival" will include about 20 carnival rides, a dozen carnival games and six fair food stands, according to Yee. It will take place on the southwest corner of the fairgrounds.

The Arizona State Fairgrounds, which can accommodate 4,000 people with social distancing, expects about 1,000 people to visit the carnival per night, Yee said.

State Senate President Karen Fann said the coliseum will follow new security protocols beginning Wednesday to accommodate the additional visitors to the site. She did not specify what the changes would be.

Ray Cammack Shows, the carnival company that frequently partners with the fairgrounds, normally travels across the United States during this time of year. That didn't happen this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning the company's festival amenities were available.


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Photos: Arizona Senate takes custody of Maricopa County ballots
Ballots from the 2020 presidential election were sent to the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix in April 2021.
With the early closure of the Banner Health vaccination site at the fairgrounds, it "all just came together at once," Yee said.

Yee said fairgrounds officials communicated with the Governor's Office and state health officials as they planned the carnival.

Though it will take place in Phoenix, which has yet to lift its mask mandate, "Crazy Times Carnival" will follow the state's COVID-19 protocols because the fairgrounds is run by a state agency.

Protocols include a recommendation to wear masks, but they will not be required. Hand-washing and sanitizing stations will be available.

Election audit controversies
The state Senate-ordered election audit — which aims to assess the integrity of the county's voting process and equipment — got off to a bumpy start Friday. Observers were not allowed through the coliseum gates until 30 minutes past their scheduled time, and the observer volunteer sign-up sheet did not save all the names of those requesting to participate. In addition, blue pens were observed in the recount room, but were removed by the time the recount began after a question by an Arizona Republic reporter.

Before the audit began, the Arizona Democratic Party and Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo were in court after filing a lawsuit contending the audit did not have an adequate security process for protecting ballots and voter information. Arguments in the lawsuit are ongoing.