A video shared on Twitter claims that Arizona’s voting equipment is not certified, which in turn prevents the election from being verified.

Michael Schaefer breaks down the fact that the voting machines in Arizona were not certified and thusly the election in turn cannot be legally certified. pic.twitter.com/IWp5Wcb7r2

— Matt Baker (@liqidearth) November 21, 2022

Verdict: False

Arizona’s voting equipment is certified by both Arizona and the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission. The claim stems from a misunderstanding of the certification process.

Fact Check:

An Arizona county refused to certify the 2022 midterm elections, despite scant evidence of election fraud, according to The Associated Press. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs challenged the certification refusal in court and asked a judge to force election officials to certify the election, the outlet reported.

A Twitter video claims that Arizona’s voting machines were not certified. “Michael Schaefer breaks down the fact that the voting machines in Arizona were not certified and thusly the election in turn cannot be legally certified,” the tweet reads, which shows the man claiming the equipment was not certified by an accredited lab.

This claim is incorrect. Documentation available on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website shows the voting equipment –Unisyn, Election Systems & Services, Dominion– used in the 2022 election. These systems are certified, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s website. The equipment was also certified by the United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC).(RELATED: Image Shows Human Error, Not Election Fraud In Pennsylvania)

“Maricopa County’s tabulation equipment is certified by Arizona and the US Elections Assistance Commission,” Megan Gilbertson, the Maricopa County Elections Department’s communication director, told Check Your Fact in an email. “Election Director Scott Jarrett talked about certification in the nearly 5 hour canvass presentation [Nov. 28].”

Sophie Solis, a spokesperson for the Arizona Secretary of State’s office, told Check Your Fact in an email that “voting systems used in the 2022 Election in Arizona have met these requirements” for certification.

“All equipment used in Arizona must be certified by the US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and the Secretary of State, based on a recommendation of the Equipment Certification Advisory Committee, to ensure that it meets both federal and state-specific requirements,” Solis stated. “As part of this process, equipment must also undergo testing by a voting system test laboratory (VSTL) accredited in accordance with the Help America Vote Act.”

Kristen Muthig, the EAC’s communications director, provided Check Your Fact with a letter dated Nov. 21, sent from the EAC to Hobbs, about the certification of the ES&S system.

EAC Letter Arizona.november… by Elias Atienza

“The Election Systems & Software (ES&S) Voting System (EVS) version 6.0.4.0 (ESSEVS6040)was certified by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) on May 3, 2019,” the letter partially reads. 

Solis told Check Your Fact that the “basis for this conspiracy is a misunderstanding of the federal lab testing accreditation process.” (RELATED: Were 52% Of Votes For John Fetterman From Mail-In Ballots?)

“Some individuals have noted that the VSTL’s certification paperwork contains a date that implies the lab’s accreditation expired and therefore could not be used to properly test equipment. The EAC has addressed this issue previously saying: Even though the EAC failed to reissue the certificate . . . Pro V&V and SLI Compliance remained in good standing with the requirements of our program and retained their accreditation,” Solis said.

The claim circulated last year. A testing company that certified and tested voting equipment had its accreditation expire due to the EAC failing to reissue a new certificate, according to The Associated Press. The company underwent audits in 2018 and 2021, and federal officials noted that a company only loses its certification if the EAC revokes it, the outlet reported.

Misinformation surrounding the results of the 2022 Midterm elections in Arizona is widespread on social media. Check Your Fact recently debunked a video allegedly showing state law enforcement officials hosting a press conference announcing the discovery of voter fraud.