Related articles:

4 county meetings will gather input on security for elections

Other articles by Andrea Kelly:

Road Runner by Andrea Kelly : Legally, 'intersection' has specific meaning Dump your car for a bicycle or bus? Yep — and here's whyWaiting was a bummer, but overall, I'd ride moreCan you dump your car and still have a life? City could get arts warehouses in swap Sun Tran seeks express-route input Road Runner by Andrea Kelly : Countdown signals for traffic are on the way Motorists find nowhere to drive with I-10 closed Road Runner by Andrea Kelly: Parking tickets another reason to reduce car use I-10 shuts down Thursday for lane shift

Construction
Green Valley Heating & Cooling
HVAC Service Tech Health Care
VALOR HOSPICECARE
ON-CALL NURSE Health Care
Mountain Land Rehabilitation
Physical Therapist Education
CESAR CHAVEZ SCHOOL NETWORK
K-12 MUSIC PROGRAM DIRECTOR General
VALLEY PROTECTIVE SERVICES
SECURITY OFFICERS Administrative & Professional
Pima Prevention Partnership
Administrative Assistant Driver/Transportation
REPOSSESSION DRIVERS

The Pima County Democratic Party says access to computer database records of past county election results are crucial to the transparency and security of future elections. But Pima County argued Tuesday in court releasing the records in turn poses a security risk for future elections.

Judge Michael Miller of Pima County Superior Court heard opening arguments Tuesday in a public-records lawsuit that both sides say gets to the heart of election-security issues.

The Democratic Party says the records, including databases of past election results, will help the party carry out its state-authorized responsibility to ensure election integrity. By getting access to the records, which were requested early this year, the party says it can find out if any of the data was mishandled, compromised or changed before or during the vote-counting process.

If the party doesn't keep tabs on the election, it seems no one else will, said Bill Risner, county Democratic Party attorney.

The county is concerned that releasing the records, and associated passwords so the party can get access to the electronic databases, would put the election system at risk, said Chris Straub, chief civil deputy Pima County attorney.

If the county releases the records and passwords to the party, it would have to release them to anyone else who requests them, Straub said.

Computer and elections experts testifying Tuesday on behalf of the Pima County Democratic Party said releasing the records doesn't pose a threat to future elections, because the biggest threat for election fraud is not from outside observers but from people who work in elections departments and have access to the data.

The public-records issue comes down to whether the electronic GEMS election system is considered a computer program, and whether a computer program is protected from public-records law.

The trial continues today.