Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap is accusing the board of supervisors of undermining election integrity, the latest accusation in the ongoing feud between the two over division of election duties.
Heap accused Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (MCBOS) Chair Thomas Galvin of ignoring “critical issues” within their Shared Services Agreement (SSA) drafts. The disagreement between the recorder and MCBOS has caused there to be no agreed-upon SSA in place.
The SSA divides election-related duties between MCBOS and the recorder’s office.
Unable to reach an agreement with MCBOS, Heap requested the board revert full authority and budget to his office. Heap issued another SSA proposal on Friday co-drafted by Maricopa County Attorney’s Office counsel and former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould.
Accompanying the SSA proposal was a letter from Gould explaining its provisions. Gould said the MCBOS version of the proposed SSA predating this latest draft required “significant” cleanup. Throughout his four-page summary of the SSA changes, Gould would describe aspects of the MCBOS version as “unusual [and] most likely unenforceable under Arizona law,” violative of the Arizona Constitution, “confusing,” and conducive to unnecessary future conflict.
“The primary focus of the changes is to return the parties to their statutorily imposed duties,” said Gould. “Hopefully, this will reduce friction between the parties and avoid confusion over their responsibilities.”
Gould’s most lengthy criticism of the MCBOS version concerned their removal of the recorder’s entire information technology (IT) department. Gould opined the board was preventing the recorder from performing his statutorily prescribed duties concerning elections by eliminating his IT department.
“Candidly, I think that the Board acted in excess of its authority in making this transfer, and it is no substitute to provide the Recorder ‘access’ to these services that are now under the daily control of the Board. Such actions have been taken before by County Boards, and have always been struck down as ultra vires,” said Gould.
Heap issued a statement accusing MCBOS of purposefully preventing him from “fixing” the county’s elections.
“Ensuring that voters can have confidence in the process and outcome of our elections is the civil rights issue of our time. I was elected with a clear mandate from the voters. They’re tired of our elections being the laughingstock of the nation, and they want them fixed immediately. I intend to do precisely that, and I will utilize every tool under state and federal law to do so. The people of Maricopa County deserve better than the appalling behavior and gaslighting from the Board of Supervisors that has taken place thus far in this process. Don’t forget—the only reason we’re in this situation is because, less than 90 days before I took office, the Board and Stephen Richer collusively signed a sham SSA that was designed to do only one thing: keep me from fixing Maricopa County’s elections. Fortunately for the voters, no matter how many lies the Board may choose to spread about me and my office, I will stay focused on delivering more secure, more honest, and more transparent elections.”
🚨 Maricopa County’s 2026 elections are at risk due to the Board of Supervisors
Today, I sent my final SSA proposal to the MCBOS.
It is the most secure & lawful manner of administering the shared election duties required under current AZ law.
FULL STATEMENT ⬇️
Maricopa County… pic.twitter.com/r4Koa3Qrxz
— Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap (@azjustinheap) May 15, 2025
Heap and Gould requested a response to their proposed SSA by next Friday, the day after the next scheduled board meeting.
Back in February, Heap rejected an SSA established by his predecessor and the outgoing MCBOS.
This latest announcement from Heap comes in response to the MCBOS proposed SSA issued last month.
MCBOS and Heap also butted heads earlier this month over Heap’s plan to mail ballots to voters who didn’t request them for this upcoming special election to fill the seat of the late congressman, Raul Grijalva. The voters affected live several hours from the nearest early voting location. MCBOS rejected this plan, and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell confirmed its unlawfulness.
The rot in the MCBOS runs deep.
the pot must be rich.. the taste sweet – that it’s ‘greed’ for the taking
We see clearly that the MCBOS hasn’t changed one bit, even with the ‘election’ of *supposed* “for the people” candidates.
Still ‘business as usual’, against the people.
“ I will stay focused on delivering more secure, more honest, and more transparent elections.”
This is why I voted for Justin Heap! The board of supervisors sound like deep state status quo democrats.