Highlights
- County Recorder Justin Heap and the Board of Supervisors are fighting in court over who controls Maricopa County elections ahead of the July 21 primary.
- Recorder's Office staff were captured on security video removing a ballot scanner from an election facility on March 12, triggering a criminal investigation referral.
- A judge agreed with Heap in April but the board has not returned IT assets, personnel, or early voting control to his office.
- Judge Scott Blaney urged both sides to settle before early ballots mail out and has scheduled an evidentiary hearing for later in June.
A criminal probe, a defied court order, and a ballot scanner loaded into an unmarked pickup truck have pushed the feud between Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap and the Board of Supervisors to a point where a judge is now pressing both sides to resolve the dispute before early ballots reach voters ahead of the July 21 primary.
Heap filed a lawsuit claiming the Board of Supervisors seized control of elections by stripping his office of traditional election duties. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge agreed with Heap in April, but the board has not returned IT assets, personnel, or early voting control to the recorder's office, according to FOX 10's reporting on the dispute.
The confrontation sharpened on March 12, when security cameras captured Recorder's Office staff loading a ballot scanner into an unmarked pickup truck during the Tempe City Council election as votes were being tallied. The board referred the incident for criminal investigation. Special prosecutor Kent Volkmer, the former Pinal County Attorney, was appointed in April to investigate, according to Votebeat Arizona. Heap has maintained the scanner belongs to his office, purchased with recorder's funds and never lawfully transferred to the board.
The dispute over physical equipment runs alongside a parallel fight over drop boxes. Heap sent a letter asserting his office's authority over ballot drop box locations ahead of the primary and warned that election workers handling ballots in drop boxes he deemed unauthorized could face criminal penalties. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved drop box locations for the primary over his objections, according to Votebeat.
Heap declined the board's request for a recorded meeting. His attorney cited past instances where board members yelled at Heap and called him a liar, according to FOX 10.
Why hasn't the court order resolved this?
The board has appealed the April ruling that sided with Heap, which both sides acknowledge creates serious operational concerns for the 2026 election year. The appeal leaves the underlying order in legal limbo even as the primary approaches.
Judge Scott Blaney urged both parties to resolve the dispute outside the courtroom before early ballots are mailed. He scheduled an evidentiary hearing for later in June and indicated he would order a judicial settlement conference if the parties cannot reach agreement on their own.
For property owners and business operators whose employees, customers, and tenants vote in Maricopa County, the unresolved chain of custody over scanners, drop boxes, and early ballots is the operational risk to watch. The evidentiary hearing before Judge Blaney is expected later this month.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- Fox 10 Phoenix retrieved 16/06/2026 01:13
- Fox 10 Phoenix retrieved 16/06/2026 01:13
- votebeat.org retrieved 16/06/2026 01:13
- votebeat.org retrieved 16/06/2026 01:13
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 16/06/2026 01:13. Every claim traces to a source.
