FLASH UPDATE: Arizona Election Audit with Tyler Bowyer

Summary

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The Charlie Kirk Show

Episode: FLASH UPDATE: Arizona Election Audit with Tyler Bowyer

Date: May 7, 2021
Host: Andrew Colvett (filling in for Charlie Kirk)
Guest: Tyler Bowyer, COO of Turning Point USA

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Overview

In this episode, producer Andrew Colvett steps in for Charlie Kirk to deliver a focused update on the ongoing Arizona election audit, specifically in Maricopa County. The guest, Tyler Bowyer—Chief Operating Officer of Turning Point USA and an active figure in Arizona politics—joins Andrew to address rumors, controversy, and procedural details about the audit. The conversation aims to cut through media narratives and political rhetoric, providing listeners a "grassroots" conservative perspective on the audit's purpose, process, and the latest developments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Media Narratives and “The Bamboo Conspiracy”

• Segment Start: 02:48
• Andrew opens by referencing a New York Times article that criticizes the Arizona audit and brings up the so-called "bamboo conspiracy."
  • Notable Quote:

    "They're looking for things outside of...I think bamboo, like they're calling it the bamboo conspiracy because...there was a suggestion that ballots were flown in from, from overseas."
    – Tyler Bowyer [05:46]

• Tyler explains that while the media fixates on fringe theories or attempts to smear audit advocates, the actual process focuses on legitimate hand counting, verifying ballots, and procedural integrity.
  • Notable Quote:

    "They would love for you to believe that this is some weirdo...That's not what's happening."
    – Tyler Bowyer [06:09]

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2. Audit Procedures and Transparency

• Segment Start: 03:47

• The audit is being conducted at the old Coliseum in Phoenix using procedures largely covered by existing Arizona election law, with an expanded hand-count for transparency.

  • The process involves matching physical ballots to digital records, seeking irregularities or tampering, and is handled in a highly-observable environment.
  • Notable Quote:

    "Most of the time that's being spent right now is verifying the votes in a hand count procedure that's outlined in the elections procedures manual."
    – Tyler Bowyer [05:37]

• Transparency Emphasized:

  • Assertion that media claims of secrecy or irregularity lack substance because the process is highly visible, live-streamed, and guarded.

    "There’s cameras on this place 24/7. There are security guards everywhere. They’re even monitoring. So, I want to literally have a live feed going."
    – Andrew Colvett [08:20]

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3. Federal Involvement and Legal Tension

• Segment Start: 06:34
• Discussion about the Department of Justice (DOJ) showing interest in the audit, with local Republicans and audit leaders asserting the federal government lacks oversight authority in this state-run process.
  • Tyler asserts that Democratic claims of rights violations are unsubstantiated and that state law allows for appropriate observation.
  • Notable Quote:

    "The DOJ really has no oversight authority or right to come in and say or do anything. Right...There are no rights being violated."
    – Tyler Bowyer [07:26]

• A judge recently ruled that no significant procedural changes have occurred—contrary to media narratives.

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4. Dominion Voting Systems & Password Access

• Segment Start: 08:46
• Rumors circulate about missing administrative passwords for Dominion voting machines, possibly limiting full access for auditors.
  • Tyler clarifies the seriousness of relying on a third party (the voting machine vendor) for access to critical election infrastructure.
  • Notable Quote:

    "If you're relying on a third party to have any access to the voter data in any way, shape or form...that's risky...That's a risky proposition."
    – Tyler Bowyer [10:21]

  • Suggests that just discovering this issue justifies the audit:

    "That alone makes the audit worth it, just finding that information out."
    – Tyler Bowyer [11:06]

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5. The Audit’s Scope: Fact-Finding, Not Overturning the Election

• Segment Start: 11:07
• Andrew and Tyler reiterate that the audit is not about changing 2020 election results but about transparency and reassuring the public.

  "This is a fact-finding mission to see. Hey, there was a lot, a lot of noise made about the election in 2020, President Trump, et cetera, what really happened."
  – Andrew Colvett [11:07]

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6. Signature Verification Controversy

• Segment Start: 12:25
• Discussion of Democratic efforts to halt signature verification and ensuing legal challenges.
  • Tyler clarifies that signature verification has largely been completed for the relevant sample, and that much of the legal wrangling centers around observation rights, not audit substance.
  • Notable Quotes:

    "The headline that came out was that...the Democrat Party had halted all signature verification in the process."
    – Tyler Bowyer [13:03] "My understanding is what they wanted and needed to do on the signature side of ensuring that that had been done, largely had been done."
    – Tyler Bowyer [16:28]

• Arizona’s vote-by-mail system is described as relatively permissive—with a permanent early voting list and concerns about ballot distribution errors.

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7. Final Thoughts: Next Steps and Moving Forward

• Segment Start: 16:53
• Tyler emphasizes that matching physical ballots to voter data remains the audit’s crucial objective. Other controversies are “distractions.”
  • Notable Quote:

    "What we need is to move forward, verify the actual physical ballots to the data. That's the baseline work. All this other talk that's surrounding this is distraction from that..."
    – Tyler Bowyer [16:53]

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Media Discrediting:

  "It's silly to me that the New York Times isn't focusing on what the actual [audit is doing]."
  – Tyler Bowyer [06:31]

• On Security and Observation:

  "It's so boring that nobody wants to cover it because it's literally just following a hand count procedure..."
  – Tyler Bowyer [08:36]

• On Audit Justification:

  "That alone makes the audit worth it, just finding that information out."
  – Tyler Bowyer [11:06]

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Notable Timestamps

• 02:48 – Introduction to the audit segment & media coverage ("bamboo conspiracy")
• 03:47 – Audit procedure details; hand count and process description
• 05:46 – Discussion of the “bamboo conspiracy” and its representation in the media
• 06:34 – DOJ involvement and legal challenges
• 08:46 – Issues and questions about Dominion voting systems and password access
• 12:25 – Signature verification controversy and legal wrangling
• 16:53 – Audit’s groundwork and next steps for election integrity

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Conclusion

Andrew Colvett and Tyler Bowyer deliver a conservative insider's view of the Arizona audit, contesting prevailing media narratives and emphasizing transparency and procedural legitimacy. Despite ongoing legal battles and heightened political rhetoric—around both the audit’s purpose and methods—Bowyer insists the process is factual, measured, and worthwhile for public trust in election results. The audit's findings, particularly concerning vendor access to systems and the matching of ballots to data, are presented not as partisan tools but as necessary steps in restoring electoral integrity.

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Transcript

[A]

Hey, everybody. This episode is brought to you by my friends at ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN.com Charlie Secure your device. Anonymize your online activity. Protect your action online. Expressvpn.com Charlie help our show out by also helping yourself. Protect yourself. Expressvpn.com Charlie

[B]

hey everybody, this is Andrew Colvett, producer. Andrew, otherwise known as. I got the honor to fill in for Charlie today and had a fantastic conversation with Tyler Bowyer who is the COO of Turning Point usa. He's also deeply involved in Arizona politics. We had a conversation today with everything you need to know about the updates on the Maricopa audit. You are not going to want to miss this. It's very interesting, everything that's going on, lots of rumors, lots of pieces of information that are flying at you every direction, including the doj. Get involved. I had to ask Tyler all about it. Check it out. You don't want to miss it.

[A]

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[B]

Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus. I want you to know we are

[A]

lucky to have Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks.

[B]

I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country. He's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created, Turning Point usa.

[A]

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[B]

We have a Maricopa audit, the Americas audit report exclusive right here on the Charlie Kirk show with none other than Tyler Bowyer, COO of Turning Point usa. Welcome to the show, Tyler. Yes, we are happy to have you. So the reason I think this actually flows really well is we're talking about how the experts are wrong. They tell us that we're going to get a million jobs and we get 250,000. They tell us that if you ask any questions about this election that happened in 2020, you're a conspiracy theorist. And as a matter of fact, they're going to smear you on the COVID of the New York Times. Here we go, the New York Times today, folks. I'm actually holding an old school piece of paper in my hand. Unattended ballots and the Bamboo Conspiracy by Michael Wines. They're trying to. What's this bamboo? Let's just start there. What's the Bamboo Conspiracy and why are they trying to use this to discredit what's going on here in Arizona?

[C]

So let's talk about kind of the update of where we're at. So right now the audit's happening. It's down at the old Coliseum. That's where the Phoenix Suns used to play before America West Arena. Now the Phoenix Suns arena recently renovated. And we're hopefully going to be back at the number one spot here, Phoenix Ghost Suns.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And we Lakers fans over here.

[B]

But we, I didn't say that. I'm not a Lakers fan. Keep going though.

[C]

Yeah, but we essentially what, what's been happening now is that over at the Coliseum they have outlined the audit process, which is essentially just executing a hand count procedure. Right. Which this is all, most of these procedures are already in the elections procedures manual that was approved by the secretary of State. There were some, you know, iffy things in there. And we don't believe that a hand count was, was really, I don't believe a hand count was properly executed by state law which says that it has to be done by precinct. And so the state law only calls for 2% to be done, but it's a minimum of 2%. It could really be a maximum of as much as you want. So the audit that's being conducted really isn't that far outside of what could have been done, which is a hand count procedure, matching and verifying the actual physical ballots to the data that's in the voting machines to make sure that those match up. And so that's what they're doing. But they're also on top of that looking at a, a number of things. So anyone that's submitted, I think concern or questions. The auditing company is also looking for other things.

[B]

Cyber ninjas.

[C]

Yeah, they're like, they're looking for things that, you know, one of the issues is creasing or the marking of the ballots are post, you know, after the fact marking of the ballots. If there's weirdness with that.

[B]

They're looking for any irregularities. Right.

[C]

Anything that's irregular, that looks like anything's been tampered with. And so this thing comes up, it's not, I guess it's on the front page of the New York Times. It's really a relatively minor thing.

[B]

Silly. They're just using it to, to smear the whole process. We know what they're doing.

[C]

They're looking for things outside of I think bamboo, like they're calling it the bamboo conspiracy because it's, it's. They're looking for bamboo fibers, quote unquote. I'm air quoting bamboo fibers because there was a suggestion that ballots were flown in from, from overseas. Look, I, they're looking for, I'm sure lots of different fibers. They're looking for lots of different types of materials to identify that there was any tampering that happened with the ballots. And realistically this isn't like something where they're like going in. That's all they're spending all. Most of the time that's being spent right now is they're verifying the votes in a hand count procedure that's outlined in the elections procedures manual. So they would love for you to believe that this is like some weirdo. Like that's not what's happening. And it's silly to me that the New York Times isn't focusing on what the actual.

[B]

Let me just read this.

[C]

By the way the work is going on.

[B]

Let me just read this. Outlines this bamboo conspiracy. And this is thousands of ballots are left unattended and unsecured. People with open partisan bias, including a man who was photographed on the Capitol steps during the January 6 riot, are doing the recounting. All of these issues with the Republican backed reexamination of the November election results from Arizona's most populous county were laid out this week by Katie Hobbs, Arizona Democratic Senate Secretary of State in a scathing six page letter. Okay, so we understand that this Hobbs person is upset that the audit is happening. We're starting to see the Brennan center, even the doj, it was reported this week, is getting potentially involved. And I saw a tweet from the Arizona GOP saying that the DOJ has no place here. Right. So there's gonna be this tension. Fill us in on what's going on with the doj.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, look, you know, I think the position isn't just of the Republican Party here, but the position of the Arizona Senate and the guys that are conducting the audit is that the DOJ really has no oversight authority or right to come in and say or do anything. Right. They can. Similar to elections, the DoJ sometimes will send elections officials to monitor, you know, things to make sure that rights aren't being violated. You know, the heartbreaking thing I think for Democrats and for the Biden administration in this, in this situation is that there are no rights being violated. Right. So a judge actually, the judge actually just issued this, this release that just came out which was saying, you know, the Democrats were saying, oh, there's monumental changes in the media were like, there's monumental changes. Actually, nothing was changed, which is that no one ever stopped anyone from observing.

[B]

Right. And there's cameras on this place 24 7. There's security guards everywhere. They're even monitoring.

[C]

So I want to literally have a live feed going.

[B]

CNN and MSNBC are not, are not getting involved.

[A]

Right.

[B]

It's so in their world, they don't think anybody's observing.

[C]

It's so boring that nobody wants to cover it because it's literally just following a hand count procedure, which again, the county could have done well from the very beginning.

[B]

Okay. So the other thing that I've seen that's interesting is that there's the much talked about Dominion voting systems, Right. I'm hearing rumors that they are missing a password. So what's going on with this?

[C]

So I personally won't say the D word.

[B]

Right, okay, fair enough, fair enough.

[C]

Just kidding. No, look, the vote, Dallas, is that what we're doing? Factually, that is the voting system that's being used. What was said this week. So former Secretary of State Kennedy, Ken Bennett, who is the chairman of the audit process here, and he's doing, he's doing a tremendous job. He's very well respected. He was a tremendous Secretary of State, he came out this week and said, you know, something that just off the cuff. And so we won't really know more information until the report is actually issued. But he said something off the cuff that was really interesting. It was that the voting system, apparently the people that run the voting system apparently had the only secondary password access.

[B]

Got it. So it's a two password system where you can input one and then somebody else has to put one in or

[C]

something like the rest of us here in the world. No one knows how the actual system is.

[B]

Right. And listen, we're not being conspiratorial here, folks. I'm just reporting what we're hearing. And this is chatter happening. And by the way, these machines, if you're going to do an actual forensic audit, are necessary to get the data off of. Correct.

[C]

So I think that the feeling here is that, and this is the proper feeling and I think that people are getting that it's probably wrong if we're relying on a third party. Doesn't matter who the third party is.

[B]

That's a good point.

[C]

If you're relying on a third party to have any access to the voter data in any way, shape or form, that's, that's putting all your faith and trust into somebody that's not a government entity, that's not a elected official. That's crazy. And that's, that's, that's risky. That's risky. That's a risky proposition, no matter how good of a person that potentially could be. And so I think the issue that exists today and looking at that, what we found out this weekend, I'm really interested to see what the full report says is that, hey, we have a real problem if, if the voting company, voting machine company is the only one that had access or the secondary password to any software, hardware, anything like that, that's going to raise some real red flags and issues and that's scary. That alone makes the audit worth it, just finding that information out.

[B]

Yeah. And we already know that this is not going to change the election. This is a fact finding mission to see. Hey, there was a lot, a lot of noise made about the election in 2020, President Trump, et cetera, what really happened.

[A]

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[B]

why are you working so hard to shut the audit down? What are you hiding? Is it your job to be nonpartisan? You call this a Republican audit? This is not it for the people. Secretary Hobbs, do you have any comment? All right, so what you were just listening to that was Secretary Hobbs avoiding questions about why she is attacking this audit. You know, you would think, Tyler, that everybody would want transparency. What are they so afraid of? There is another issue with this audit being raised about signatures and signature verification. So do you want to fill us in on what's going on there?

[C]

Yeah. So the headline that came out was that, you know, this lawsuit that was, was filed by the Arizona Democratic Party, the Democrat Party had halted all signature verification in the process, right?

[B]

Yeah. I remember seeing this and going like, oh gosh, that's the whole point, right? Signature verification. This is why they, this is why they're freaking out in Georgia and Florida with all the election integrity laws, right?

[C]

Yeah. Look, my, my understanding of it, of the, of what's happening is that's a, that's a portion of it. Right. Was, was looking at, at some of that.

[B]

It's matching the signature on the ballot to what's on the voter roll. Right. When they applied for.

[C]

So let's explain something in Arizona, which is similar to other states, but Arizona is every state's unique. Right. So Arizona, how it works for elections. We have a pretty, in my opinion, a little bit too loose of vote by mail laws. So the majority of voters vote by mail now or at least in the recent elections. And so we have a significant amount of vote by mail.

[B]

And so like Florida does. I mean, but you're saying it's not as secure as Florida system was.

[C]

We just, I wouldn't say about security. I'd say more. It's along the lines of just it's easier to register.

[B]

We have what's called no excuse.

[C]

Or we have permanent early voting lists. Right. Where you don't have to prove anything. And once you get on the list, it's permanent. That's literally the name of it is permanent or early voting. So, sure, people have got on it 10, 12 years ago.

[B]

This is why you get multiple ballots. Yeah.

[C]

To say they move around or the ballots fly in the wrong, wrong spots. And so what this, you know, this, the issue of signature verifications just on those ballots. But this election we had more people show up in person. Right. You know, I don't know if they were totally expecting this, but people weren't actually sending in their ballot. They were voting in person, which there isn't as much of a signature match on that part because those were all in person votes.

[B]

Oh, interesting.

[C]

They still would verify signatures of when people came in and signed up. But I don't think there's as much of a concern there. The concern, I think in the predominant part of what this is, is matching that the physical ballots actually match up with the voter data. Yeah, that's the heavy one.

[B]

So we can't do that now or we can.

[C]

No, they are, they are. And so, so.

[B]

But the judge just said that you can't. Right. This is the state Democrats here in

[C]

Arizona, There was a quote, unquote settlement that was finalized. The settlement, actually the statement that was put out by the auditing team was, yeah, all these points in the settlement really changed nothing. And so I can take you through it point by point, which is that the settlement that came through, this is what they said was the settlement of the audit allows the Secretary of State's office to have observers. The Secretary of State was never requested to have observers. Prior to that, Cyber ninjas, which is the audit team, never objected to observers. As a result, nothing changes. So that was a big point of it, which the point of contention was that the Secretary of State could have observers. And their point was, well, she never asked for them. We just watched her running away from questions. They didn't want to answer the questions, which is like, hey, are you really being honest about your position on everything? And the truth is no.

[B]

Well, and what we talked about in the break, which I think is fascinating for a lot of people, is I saw this report and I thought, oh, no, we can't verify signatures. You're saying that because this has come midway through the process that a lot of that sample we have already, we already have a sample set large enough.

[C]

My understanding is what they wanted and needed to do on the signature side of ensuring that that had been done, largely had been done.

[B]

So we're, we're good.

[C]

So they're, they're, they're fine. So basically nothing, nothing changes with that.

[B]

So folks, rest assured that they are capturing data, that verification is happening and that the audit is going to actually yield something that we can trust.

[C]

Well, I mean, what we need is to move forward, verify the actual physical balance to the data. That's the baseline work. All this other talk that's surrounding this is distraction from that because once they get that, then they're going to be able to move forward and provide the results and then move forward with what law should look like.

[B]

Everybody, thank you to Tyler Bowyer for the update here in Arizona. Thanks everybody for listening in. I hope you got a lot out of that. I know I did. If you want to support the show, guys like me, guys like producer Connor, we have a whole other team of researchers. Mr. Gordon, Mr. Farnsworth, we actually have a couple of Farnsworth's back there. We've got some other interns. Guys, the team is growing. We thank you so much for all of your incredible support. Just go to charliekirk.com support it means the world to us when you do. We see it all, we see all the emails come through and it means so much to us. We try to get to as many as we can, but because of our growth, we're getting a lot. But anyways, we see them come in and it means the world to us. So please consider doing that. If you want to support TurningPoint USA as always, go to turningpointusa.com or tpusa.com and we've got more for you next week. Guys, thanks so much. Talk to you soon.

[C]

For more on many of these stories and news you can trust, go to charliekirk.

[B]

Com.