Highlights
- Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap introduced new software to accelerate signature verification for late early ballots on July 21 primary election night.
- Election officials at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center processed thousands of late early ballots overnight using the new system.
- Heap's office operates under a settlement agreement that gave him authority over early voting; the Board of Supervisors controls Election Day voting and tabulation.
- The board agreed to fund a $15 million IT system for the recorder's office as part of the same settlement.
New software deployed by Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap is cutting the time required to verify signatures on late early ballots, with election officials at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center working overnight to process thousands of ballots cast in the July 21 primary.
Heap described the technology and its effect on processing speed to FOX 10's Steve Nielsen on election night. The tabulation center, located at 510 S. 3rd Ave. in Phoenix, served as the countywide ballot tabulation hub and was scheduled to post final unofficial results after processing was complete.
Heap's authority over the early-voting process is itself recent. He sued the Republican-controlled Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in June 2025 over election administration duties, and the board approved a settlement this week after mediated negotiations. Under that agreement, Heap oversees early voting and ballot drop box locations while the board retains control of Election Day voting and tabulation. The board also committed to fund a $15 million information technology system for the recorder's office.
An interim plan approved by the Arizona Supreme Court governed the July 21 primary while the settlement takes full effect.
For voters who dropped off early ballots on Election Day, Maricopa County offered two processing tracks: a secure drop-off with signature verification completed later, or immediate processing for voters who showed ID at a Vote Center. The county secured 237 Vote Centers for Election Day.
The recorder's office concluded its administrative oversight of early voting locations on July 17, at which point the Board of Supervisors' Elections Department took over Emergency Voting operations through the Monday before Election Day.
Who controls Maricopa County elections now?
Under the settlement between Heap and the Board of Supervisors, Heap oversees early voting and ballot drop box locations while the board handles Election Day voting and tabulation. The Arizona Supreme Court approved an interim plan to govern the July 21 primary during the transition.
Final unofficial results from the tabulation center are expected once overnight processing is complete.
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 22/07/2026 01:19
- City of Scottsdale retrieved 22/07/2026 01:19
- arizonadailyindependent.com retrieved 22/07/2026 01:19
- sandiegouniontribune.com retrieved 22/07/2026 01:19
- azcleanelections.gov retrieved 22/07/2026 01:19
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 22/07/2026 01:19. Every claim traces to a source.
