A family wearing Trump merchandise stands near the Protect the Vote rally at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, in Phoenix. (Kiersten Moss / Downtown Devil)
Trump supporters gathered at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Office on Friday, Nov. 6, for the Protect the Vote rally.
The event was organized to protest alleged voting issues in Arizona, such as SharpieGate, a debunked conspiracy theory that the use of permanent markers invalidated ballots.
Election department officials across Arizona confirmed that the use of permanent or felt-tip pens would not impact votes whatsoever. In fact, Maricopa County officials would go on to say that permanent markers were even preferred for use over ballpoint pens, as they dry quicker and do not smudge, according to a report by The Arizona Republic.
However, such findings did not stop protests, as they continued for the third day in a row on Friday, with a variety of speakers talking to the crowd.
One speaker, Charlie Kirk, the founder of Students for Trump that was acquired by Turning Point USA, said he felt the left was responsible for voter fraud in the United States.
“It is logical, in fact, it is inevitable, that certain people that want to get in power are going to fill in those ballots, without signature verification, without checking where those ballots are coming from,” Kirk said to the crowd. “We as conservatives have trusted this process in the last couple decades. And guess what, we saw what they’re willing to do to get rid of this president.”
Charlie Kirk, founder of Students for Trump, speaking at the Protect the Vote rally at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, in Phoenix. (Kiersten Moss / Downtown Devil)Two Trump supporters chat at the Protect the Vote rally at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, in Phoenix. (Kiersten Moss / Downtown Devil)A trump supporter sells flags at the Protect the Vote rally at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, in Phoenix. (Kiersten Moss / Downtown Devil)A protester speaks with a crowd of Trump supporters while holding Sharpies, in reference to a current conspiracy theory about how Sharpies ruin Arizona ballots, on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, in Phoenix. (Kiersten Moss / Downtown Devil)Jake Angeli, a local QAnon conspiracy theorist, speaks to protesters at the Protect the Vote rally at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, in Phoenix. (Kiersten Moss / Downtown Devil)A dog walks around the Protect the Vote rally with a “Dont Tread On Me” flag on his back on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, in Phoenix. (Kiersten Moss / Downtown Devil)Trump supporters wave various signs and flags at the Protect the Vote rally at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, in Phoenix. (Kiersten Moss / Downtown Devil)
