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an hour ago
- Politics
Lawsuit centers on power struggle over elections in Arizona's most populous county
PHOENIX -- The top elections official in one of the nation's most pivotal swing counties is suing the Maricopa County governing board over allegations that it's attempting to gain more control over how elections are administered. County Recorder Justin Heap filed a lawsuit Thursday in state court with the backing of America First Legal, a conservative public interest group founded by Stephen Miller, who is now the White House deputy chief of staff. Heap, a former GOP state lawmaker who has questioned election administration in Arizona's most populous county, has been at odds with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for months over an agreement that would divide election operations between the two offices. After taking office in January, Heap terminated a previous agreement that was reached between his predecessor and the board. He claimed in his lawsuit it would have restrained his power to run elections by reducing funding and IT resources for the recorder's office. Last year's agreement also gave the board authority over early ballot processing, which drew criticism from Heap in his lawsuit. Heap is asking the court to undo what the lawsuit calls 'unlawful' actions by the board and to issue an order requiring the board to fund expenses he deems necessary. 'Despite their repeated misinformation and gaslighting of the public on these issues, defending the civil right to free, fair and honest elections for every Maricopa County voter isn't simply my job as county recorder, it's the right thing to do and a mission I'm fully committed to achieving,' Heap said in a statement Thursday. The board's chair and vice chair have called the legal challenge frivolous, saying Heap is wasting taxpayer money by going to court. Negotiations between the offices have been ongoing since the beginning of the year, and the board said in a statement that it appeared things were going well after a meeting in April. It was only weeks later, the board said, that Heap came back with what he called a final offer that included dozens of changes. Heap claims in the lawsuit that the board rejected his proposed agreement in late May. In a statement, America First Legal says the board separately voted on a tentative budget that shifts Heap's key duties and underfunds the recorder's office. 'From day one, Recorder Heap has been making promises that the law doesn't allow him to keep," Board Chairman Thomas Galvin said. "Arizona election statutes delineate election administration between county boards of supervisors and recorders to ensure there are checks and balances, and Recorder Heap clearly doesn't understand the responsibilities of his position.' Following President Donald Trump's 2020 loss, Maricopa County became an epicenter for election conspiracy theories. Heap has stopped short of saying the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen, but he has said the state's practices for handling early ballots are insecure and has questioned how ballots are transported, handled and stored after they are submitted. Last year, Heap proposed an unsuccessful bill to remove Arizona from a multistate effort to maintain voter lists. Heap's predecessor, Stephen Richer, was rebuked in some GOP circles for defending the legitimacy of the 2020 and 2022 elections, in which Democrats including former President Joe Biden and Gov. Katie Hobbs won by razor-thin margins. Trump won Arizona in 2024, along with the other battleground states.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawsuit centers on power struggle over elections in Arizona's most populous county
PHOENIX (AP) — The top elections official in one of the nation's most pivotal swing counties is suing the Maricopa County governing board over allegations that it's attempting to gain more control over how elections are administered. County Recorder Justin Heap filed a lawsuit Thursday in state court with the backing of America First Legal, a conservative public interest group founded by Stephen Miller, who is now the White House deputy chief of staff. Heap, a former GOP state lawmaker who has questioned election administration in Arizona's most populous county, has been at odds with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for months over an agreement that would divide election operations between the two offices. After taking office in January, Heap terminated a previous agreement that was reached between his predecessor and the board. He claimed in his lawsuit it would have restrained his power to run elections by reducing funding and IT resources for the recorder's office. Last year's agreement also gave the board authority over early ballot processing, which drew criticism from Heap in his lawsuit. Heap is asking the court to undo what the lawsuit calls 'unlawful' actions by the board and to issue an order requiring the board to fund expenses he deems necessary. 'Despite their repeated misinformation and gaslighting of the public on these issues, defending the civil right to free, fair and honest elections for every Maricopa County voter isn't simply my job as county recorder, it's the right thing to do and a mission I'm fully committed to achieving,' Heap said in a statement Thursday. The board's chair and vice chair have called the legal challenge frivolous, saying Heap is wasting taxpayer money by going to court. Negotiations between the offices have been ongoing since the beginning of the year, and the board said in a statement that it appeared things were going well after a meeting in April. It was only weeks later, the board said, that Heap came back with what he called a final offer that included dozens of changes. Heap claims in the lawsuit that the board rejected his proposed agreement in late May. In a statement, America First Legal says the board separately voted on a tentative budget that shifts Heap's key duties and underfunds the recorder's office. 'From day one, Recorder Heap has been making promises that the law doesn't allow him to keep," Board Chairman Thomas Galvin said. "Arizona election statutes delineate election administration between county boards of supervisors and recorders to ensure there are checks and balances, and Recorder Heap clearly doesn't understand the responsibilities of his position.' Following President Donald Trump's 2020 loss, Maricopa County became an epicenter for election conspiracy theories. Heap has stopped short of saying the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen, but he has said the state's practices for handling early ballots are insecure and has questioned how ballots are transported, handled and stored after they are submitted. Last year, Heap proposed an unsuccessful bill to remove Arizona from a multistate effort to maintain voter lists. Heap's predecessor, Stephen Richer, was rebuked in some GOP circles for defending the legitimacy of the 2020 and 2022 elections, in which Democrats including former President Joe Biden and Gov. Katie Hobbs won by razor-thin margins. Trump won Arizona in 2024, along with the other battleground states.
Hamilton Spectator
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Lawsuit centers on power struggle over elections in Arizona's most populous county
PHOENIX (AP) — The top elections official in one of the nation's most pivotal swing counties is suing the Maricopa County governing board over allegations that it's attempting to gain more control over how elections are administered. County Recorder Justin Heap filed a lawsuit Thursday in state court with the backing of America First Legal, a conservative public interest group founded by Stephen Miller, who is now the White House deputy chief of staff. Heap , a former GOP state lawmaker who has questioned election administration in Arizona's most populous county, has been at odds with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for months over an agreement that would divide election operations between the two offices. After taking office in January, Heap terminated a previous agreement that was reached between his predecessor and the board. He claimed in his lawsuit it would have restrained his power to run elections by reducing funding and IT resources for the recorder's office. Last year's agreement also gave the board authority over early ballot processing, which drew criticism from Heap in his lawsuit. Heap is asking the court to undo what the lawsuit calls 'unlawful' actions by the board and to issue an order requiring the board to fund expenses he deems necessary. 'Despite their repeated misinformation and gaslighting of the public on these issues, defending the civil right to free, fair and honest elections for every Maricopa County voter isn't simply my job as county recorder, it's the right thing to do and a mission I'm fully committed to achieving,' Heap said in a statement Thursday. The board's chair and vice chair have called the legal challenge frivolous, saying Heap is wasting taxpayer money by going to court. Negotiations between the offices have been ongoing since the beginning of the year, and the board said in a statement that it appeared things were going well after a meeting in April. It was only weeks later, the board said, that Heap came back with what he called a final offer that included dozens of changes. Heap claims in the lawsuit that the board rejected his proposed agreement in late May. In a statement, America First Legal says the board separately voted on a tentative budget that shifts Heap's key duties and underfunds the recorder's office. 'From day one, Recorder Heap has been making promises that the law doesn't allow him to keep,' Board Chairman Thomas Galvin said. 'Arizona election statutes delineate election administration between county boards of supervisors and recorders to ensure there are checks and balances, and Recorder Heap clearly doesn't understand the responsibilities of his position.' Following President Donald Trump's 2020 loss, Maricopa County became an epicenter for election conspiracy theories. Heap has stopped short of saying the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen, but he has said the state's practices for handling early ballots are insecure and has questioned how ballots are transported, handled and stored after they are submitted. Last year, Heap proposed an unsuccessful bill to remove Arizona from a multistate effort to maintain voter lists. Heap's predecessor, Stephen Richer , was rebuked in some GOP circles for defending the legitimacy of the 2020 and 2022 elections, in which Democrats including former President Joe Biden and Gov. Katie Hobbs won by razor-thin margins. Trump won Arizona in 2024, along with the other battleground states. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Lawsuit centers on power struggle over elections in Arizona's most populous county
PHOENIX (AP) — The top elections official in one of the nation's most pivotal swing counties is suing the Maricopa County governing board over allegations that it's attempting to gain more control over how elections are administered. County Recorder Justin Heap filed a lawsuit Thursday in state court with the backing of America First Legal, a conservative public interest group founded by Stephen Miller, who is now the White House deputy chief of staff. Heap, a former GOP state lawmaker who has questioned election administration in Arizona's most populous county, has been at odds with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for months over an agreement that would divide election operations between the two offices. After taking office in January, Heap terminated a previous agreement that was reached between his predecessor and the board. He claimed in his lawsuit it would have restrained his power to run elections by reducing funding and IT resources for the recorder's office. Last year's agreement also gave the board authority over early ballot processing, which drew criticism from Heap in his lawsuit. Heap is asking the court to undo what the lawsuit calls 'unlawful' actions by the board and to issue an order requiring the board to fund expenses he deems necessary. 'Despite their repeated misinformation and gaslighting of the public on these issues, defending the civil right to free, fair and honest elections for every Maricopa County voter isn't simply my job as county recorder, it's the right thing to do and a mission I'm fully committed to achieving,' Heap said in a statement Thursday. The board's chair and vice chair have called the legal challenge frivolous, saying Heap is wasting taxpayer money by going to court. Negotiations between the offices have been ongoing since the beginning of the year, and the board said in a statement that it appeared things were going well after a meeting in April. It was only weeks later, the board said, that Heap came back with what he called a final offer that included dozens of changes. Heap claims in the lawsuit that the board rejected his proposed agreement in late May. In a statement, America First Legal says the board separately voted on a tentative budget that shifts Heap's key duties and underfunds the recorder's office. 'From day one, Recorder Heap has been making promises that the law doesn't allow him to keep,' Board Chairman Thomas Galvin said. 'Arizona election statutes delineate election administration between county boards of supervisors and recorders to ensure there are checks and balances, and Recorder Heap clearly doesn't understand the responsibilities of his position.' Following President Donald Trump's 2020 loss, Maricopa County became an epicenter for election conspiracy theories. Heap has stopped short of saying the 2020 and 2022 elections were stolen, but he has said the state's practices for handling early ballots are insecure and has questioned how ballots are transported, handled and stored after they are submitted. Last year, Heap proposed an unsuccessful bill to remove Arizona from a multistate effort to maintain voter lists. Heap's predecessor, Stephen Richer, was rebuked in some GOP circles for defending the legitimacy of the 2020 and 2022 elections, in which Democrats including former President Joe Biden and Gov. Katie Hobbs won by razor-thin margins. Trump won Arizona in 2024, along with the other battleground states.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Everyone hates the Maricopa County recorder. But maybe for the wrong reason
Justin Heap beat me in the 2024 Republican primary, and he replaced me as Maricopa County recorder. I'm now writing in his defense. Kind of. In just a few weeks in office, Heap has seemingly managed to aggravate every elected Republican at Maricopa County. County Chairman Thomas Galvin recently wrote on X: 'We won't let Justin Heap set a bad precedent of bad election ideas!' Supervisor Debbie Lesko has fired off a number of criticisms of Heap, calling some of Heap's actions 'misguided' and 'illegal,' and expressing her 'frustration' with Heap's manner of negotiating. County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, also a Republican, took Heap's office to task for lying about attorney advice. Mitchell also pointed out that Heap's proposed actions, 'would be in excess of his legal authority,' and she 'would not be able to defend him.' Even the Arizona Republican Party expressed its 'unqualified opposition' to Heap on one front and pointed out Heap's 'apparent misunderstanding of Arizona law, and its potential to undermine the AZGOP's recent victories for election integrity.' All of this before Heap even completed administering his first election earlier this week. Some of these less-than-flattering comments resulted from Heap's recent head-scratching proposal to send mail ballots to voters who hadn't requested them. That's against the law. A similar proposal tripped up Secretary of State Adrian Fontes in March 2020 when he was Maricopa County recorder. At that time, Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts wrote on these pages that 'Adrian Fontes is making up election law as he goes along. This won't end well.' But some of the animus between Heap and his fellow county-electeds arises from Arizona's arcane state law that splits election management responsibilities between the county board of supervisors and the recorder. Here, Heap has my sympathy. This legal setup is dumb. I've been saying so since January 2023. Even under the best of circumstances, it creates an unwieldy operation that wastes resources, confuses voters and frustrates administrators. It puts multiple, independently elected cooks in the administrative kitchen. As an example, Arizona law assigns in-person early voting to the recorder, but in-person Election Day voting to the board of supervisors. Both operations require the same election equipment for 100-plus voting locations (including voting booths, check-in computers, ballot printers and 'vote here' signs) as well as hundreds of temporary workers doing the same work. Some small counties simply duplicate the resources. They buy separate sets of all the equipment. One set for the recorder. One set for the board of supervisors. This is a small waste in small counties. In Maricopa County, this waste would amount to millions of dollars. Assistant County Manager Zach H. Schira recently estimated this waste at between $11 million and $13 million in one-time costs and $1.8 million in ongoing costs. Supervisor Steve Gallardo called such a setup an 'injustice' to Maricopa County residents. The recorder and board of supervisors also could share the same equipment and personnel. But who calls the shots on how to prepare the equipment, how to test the equipment, how to store the equipment, where to send the equipment, whom to hire, and how to train those temporary workers? Messy. In the legislative arena, this type of cooperative tension is potentially good. It creates compromise. When it comes to administration of the law, it's awful. It's like having two CEOs. Opinion: Arizonans are sick of elections. Let's pare them back It's why no other state divides election administration between two independently elected political bodies. It's why no other county office pairing in Arizona is subject to this lunacy. Can you imagine if county attorney Rachel Mitchell had to share prosecutorial responsibilities with the board of supervisors? If Mitchell's personnel would handle all pretrial parts of the prosecution, but then the board's attorneys take over for trial? It's easy to see just how silly that would be. And yet that's what the law requires in the election context. During my time in office, the board of supervisors and I created multiple agreements to smooth over some of the statutory awkwardness. Even so, it was occasionally very tough, and it only worked because of the philosophical alignment and the friendships between the five board members and me. But, as is evident now with Heap, and has been on display in recent years in Pinal County, Cochise County and elsewhere, such alignment between the recorder and the board isn't guaranteed. It's why the state Legislature needs to follow the lead of the 49 other states and vest all county election responsibilities in one elected body. I strongly suggest, as I did in January 2023, putting it all under the board of supervisors. It is a multi-member body, so no one person will be in charge of elections. It is subject to public meeting laws. It is likely to reflect some level of bipartisanship. And it is unlikely to swing dramatically from election cycle to election cycle. Justin Heap seems like a challenging person to work with under the best circumstances. But part of the current friction comes from a poorly designed system. We should revisit that system's design. Stephen Richer is a former Maricopa County recorder. He is now a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government's Ash Center and CEO of Republic Affairs. Follow him on X: @stephen_richer. Like this column? Get more opinions in your email inbox by signing up for our free opinions newsletter, which publishes Monday through Friday. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Justin Heap may be a problem. But so is dumb AZ election law | Opinion
