Maricopa County Board Urges Collaboration Amid Election Worker Threats

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has made an appeal for Recorder Heap to engage in collaborative efforts following a controversial letter from Heap’s attorney. The letter, which raised alarms by threatening criminal prosecution of election workers, prompted the Board to call for a reduction in heated rhetoric.

During a recent session, the Board moved forward with critical election administration tasks. They unanimously approved the establishment of 237 Vote Centers across the county for the upcoming July 21, 2026 Primary Election, alongside the provision of 12 monitored Drop Boxes for early ballot submissions. These decisions were made despite the looming threat of criminal charges against election personnel.

Details of the proceedings and related communications are accessible at Maricopa.gov/ElectionDispute.

In addition to approving election infrastructure, the Board also voted to allocate funds for eight full-time IT positions within the County Recorder’s Office. To ensure seamless operations, the County Recorder’s Chief Information Officer will have the same level of access to systems and databases as the Board’s IT Elections Team.

Chair Kate Brophy McGee and Vice Chair Debbie Lesko have initiated contact with Recorder Heap, aiming to schedule meetings to address the operational demands of conducting both the Primary and General Elections. The Board’s commitment is underscored by the tight timelines resulting from recent court decisions and resource limitations.

For more details, the letter addressed to Recorder Heap is available here.

“Election systems work best when chain of command and procedures are clear. That clarity is what the Board is seeking in requesting face-to-face meetings with Recorder Heap, as well as in our appeal of the ruling in Heap v. Galvin, et al,” stated Brophy McGee. “We are committed to ensuring the Recorder is able to carry out his statutory duties just as we are committed to carrying out ours on behalf of voters.”

“I am willing to put in the hours to work with Recorder Heap to hammer out our differences for the benefit of our voters,” added Lesko. “That is why the Chair and I are calling on Recorder Heap to come to the table.”