Maricopa County election leaders announced a mediated settlement this week that ends a yearlong legal fight over who controls key aspects of administering elections in Arizona’s most populous county. The agreement assigns responsibilities between the county recorder’s office and the Republican-dominated board of supervisors and will govern operations for the July 21 primary, with early voting already underway.
Terms and immediate effects
Under the settlement, an interim plan — originally proposed by the recorder’s attorney and approved by the Arizona Supreme Court — will be used for the upcoming primary. The arrangement gives the county recorder primary oversight of early voting, the selection of ballot drop box locations and related duties, while the board of supervisors retains control over Election Day voting, ballot tabulation and equipment maintenance at voting sites. The board also agreed to fund a new information technology system valued at $15 million and provide funding for related positions.
“This deal gets us out of the courtroom,” board Chairwoman Kate Brophy McGee said after the board approved the settlement. “I’m sick of drama. We are done with being on the front page going forward.”
Recorder Justin Heap, who filed the lawsuit in June 2025 after accusing the board of unlawfully assuming certain election functions, said the agreement will restore his office’s statutory duties. A joint statement from Heap and the board said the settlement establishes a clarified framework for administering elections going forward.
Context and outside support
Heap, a Republican who defeated incumbent Stephen Richer in a party primary and won the 2024 general election, had alleged the board transferred staff, funding and functions — including management of drop boxes and early voting site establishment — under an agreement negotiated with his predecessor. The board called the suit frivolous and criticized its cost to taxpayers.
The lawsuit was supported by America First Legal, a conservative public interest group founded by former White House adviser Stephen Miller.
Implications
The settlement removes immediate legal uncertainty about the administration of the July primary in a county that has been at the center of national attention on election integrity. By delineating duties and committing funding for IT infrastructure, the agreement aims to reduce operational friction and clarify lines of authority between two county institutions that had sharply disagreed.
- Who oversees early voting: Maricopa County Recorder’s office
- Who oversees Election Day and tabulation: Board of Supervisors
- New funding: $15 million for IT system and positions, paid by the board
| Responsibility | Assigned to |
|---|---|
| Early voting | County Recorder |
| Drop box locations | County Recorder |
| Election Day voting | Board of Supervisors |
| Ballot tabulation | Board of Supervisors |
| IT funding | Board of Supervisors ($15 million) |
Officials indicated the settlement was reached after mediated negotiations and following court involvement earlier this year. With the primary looming and early voting already underway, county election administrators will put the interim plan into effect immediately. How the arrangement affects longer-term governance of elections in Maricopa County — including any potential future disputes over statutory authority, staffing and funding — remains to be seen.
