With early voting for the 2026 midterm primary set to begin June 24, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is seeking to coordinate election logistics with the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office as preparations intensify.
Board Chair Kate Brophy McGee and Vice Chair Debbie Lesko sent a letter Feb. 24 to Recorder Justin Heap proposing collaboration on early in-person voting. The outreach comes as the county works toward the July 21 primary election.
Under Arizona law, election responsibilities are divided between county supervisors and county recorders. Supervisors oversee Election Day voting operations, while the recorder manages voter registration and early ballot processing, including signature verification. Since Heap took office in January 2025, the two sides have not finalized a Shared Services Agreement outlining how duties will be coordinated.
Heap has indicated he intends to oversee early in-person voting. Supervisors have requested details on how early voting sites would be secured, staffed and operated. Those sites later transition into Election Day locations. County elections staff have sought clarification on logistical decisions to maintain historical service levels during the early voting period.
Supervisors asked Heap to respond to their letter by Feb. 27. They indicated they would assume he plans to independently manage early in-person voting if no response is received.
Separately, the Republican-led board voted Feb. 25 to approve a one-time $550,000 budget increase for the Recorder’s Office to expand signature verification operations. According to the office, the funding will support 150 additional workstations dedicated to signature verification and ballot curing and does not increase the county’s overall budget.
The funding request followed Heap’s appearance under oath before the board on Feb. 19, when he presented updates on election-related matters, including a signature verification system he initiated. That meeting concluded with a unanimous resolution outlining the board’s policy position in the absence of a negotiated agreement and affirming that the recorder may request additional funding as needed.
County officials continue preparations for the 2026 primary amid unresolved administrative negotiations between the two offices.
