Heap Sues Maricopa County Over Election Dispute

Arizona Capitol

Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap is suing the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (MCBOS), claiming they are interfering with his efforts to establish more transparent elections.

Heap posted the announcement on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, saying, "From day one, I promised the voters of Maricopa County that I would deliver more secure, more honest, and more transparent elections for all voters, regardless of political party."

"Similarly, I have promised to utilize every tool under state and federal law, including Arizona's judicial system, to accomplish these very popular objectives," Heap continued, adding, "Today's lawsuit seeks simply to reclaim the legal authority afforded to the County Recorder under Arizona law and ensure that my office is not further deprived of the resources necessary to perform those duties to the fullest extent possible."

The Maricopa County Recorder further accused the Board of "bad faith tactics in the SSA negotiation, compounded by their unanimous May 19 budget vote to cement the Board's seizure of my statutory duties through the budget process, is deeply disappointing, forcing us to take this issue to court."

"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," Heap concluded, "it's the right thing to do and a mission I'm fully committed to achieving."

Newsweek noted that the Recorder and Board split electoral responsibilities, including voter registration and ballot management, such as the management of early and mail-in ballots and the later counting of them.

As a result, Heap is claiming the Board is overstepping its boundaries, which the Board called "irresponsible and juvenile."

Board Chair Thomas Galvin and Vice Chair Kate Brophy McGee further countered Heap's argument by saying, "From day one, Recorder Heap has been making promises that the law doesn't allow him to keep."

"Arizona election statutes delineate election administration between county boards of supervisors and recorders to ensure there are checks and balances," Galvin and McGee continued, "and Recorder Heap clearly doesn't understand the responsibilities of his position."

Grayson Bakich

Florida born and raised, Grayson Bakich is a recent recipient of a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Central Florida. His thesis examined recent trends in political polarization and how this leads into justification of violence.