Latest news with #JustinHeap
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Recorder's office blames vendor after thousands of voters were incorrectly flagged
The Brief Thousands of Maricopa County voters were incorrectly notified their voting rights were jeopardized due to an error, requiring them to provide proof of citizenship within 90 days for local elections. The county blames a vendor for the mix-up, while the current recorder remains unavailable for comment, drawing criticism from his predecessor regarding leadership and communication. PHOENIX - We're learning more about a big mistake connected to the Maricopa County Recorder's Office. The backstory Thousands of voters were told incorrectly that their voting rights were in jeopardy, and now they have to fix the problem themselves. Voters will have 90 days to send back documented proof of citizenship to be able to vote in local elections. They were sent a letter asking if they had moved, then were told to provide documentation and proof of citizenship. Turns out, it was all an error. FOX 10 reached out to the Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap multiple times for an interview. He's still unavailable for comment, but on Friday, June 27, the county recorder's office acknowledged the error, blaming a third-party vendor. What they're saying The former county recorder, Stephen Richer, explains two lists got mixed up. "The letter they were supposed to receive pertains to that special group of people who still need to provide proof of citizenship because the MVD had thought they had been grandfathered into the document to proof of citizenship requirement, but they actually haven't and that was discovered last year. I don't know why the recorder's office is starting on it now," Richer said. He acknowledged mistakes happen, but said Heap not taking the interview himself "cowardice in the extreme and piss poor leadership. Never in a million years would have done that." Voters are still left with questions. "The cherry on the parfait is, according to the county recorder's office, I can still vote in federal elections, but I can't vote in local and state elections. So I'm a citizen of the federal government, but I'm not a citizen of Arizona? How does that make any sense?" a voter said. It's still unclear if every person who received the first letter in error will receive the second letter and have to provide proof of citizenship. What's next FOX 10 will continue to reach out to county recorder Heap to set the record straight.
Newsweek
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Republicans Turn on Each Other in Arizona
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Republican officials in control of Arizona's electoral systems have taken a disagreement over how elections should be managed to the courts. Maricopa County recorder Justin Heap sued his fellow Republicans on the county's board of supervisors on Friday, after a monthslong battle over which powers his position holds. Newsweek has contacted Heap and the board of supervisors for comment on the situation via email. The Context Heap, a former Republican state representative, was elected to the recorder position in 2024, and has consistently clashed with the Republican-controlled Maricopa County board of supervisors since. He says that the board has taken control of his position's election duties, a charge that the board has dismissed as "irresponsible and juvenile." What To Know The dispute evolved into a legal matter on Thursday after Heap announced he was suing the board. In the filing for the lawsuit, which was brought to the county's superior court, Heap said that the board was "engaged in an unlawful attempt to seize near-total control over the administration of elections." Traditionally, the management of elections is split between the board and the recorder, with a "shared services agreement" (SSA) allocating the different duties, such as handling voter registration, counting ballots, managing early balloting and running mail balloting. A vote sign outside the polling location at the Burton Barr Central Library on November 5, 2024, in Phoenix. A vote sign outside the polling location at the Burton Barr Central Library on November 5, 2024, in Phoenix. Getty Images In response to the lawsuit, Maricopa County board chairman Thomas Galvin and vice chairwoman Kate Brophy McGee said in a statement: "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, and recorder Heap clearly doesn't understand the responsibilities of his position." What People Are Saying Maricopa County recorder Justin Heap said in a statement on the dispute: "For weeks, since before being sworn into office, I've sought reasonable, common-sense solutions with my fellow Republicans on the board, only to be ignored. Maricopa County elections need a practical, workable SSA to ensure efficient, accurate elections; however, the Supervisors' refusal to engage in honest dialogue risks a crisis in our upcoming elections. "With an election less than 90 days away, the supervisors' unwillingness to address these concerns will force me to take legal action against the board to restore this office's full authority, and deliver the results voters elected me to achieve." What Happens Next The lawsuit will be heard at the Maricopa County Superior Court in the coming months. The results will determine how powers are shared between the recorder and the board for elections at the congressional midterms in 2026.
14-06-2025
- 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
14-06-2025
- 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
14-06-2025
- 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 .
