Arizona Midterms Begin with Spotlight on Maricopa County's Controversial Election System

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Much of the political spotlight this election year in Arizona has been focused on the office that runs elections in Maricopa County, the state's largest. Republican Justin Heap, an election skeptic, is overseeing his first statewide election in Maricopa County. He has been engaged in a bitter legal feud with the county board of supervisors over election procedures, has put in place a controversial system for checking signatures on mail ballots, and has run voter records through a federal system to check for noncitizens despite questions about its accuracy. His actions have drawn heated comments from members of the board and rebukes from the attorney general and secretary of state, creating an air of uncertainty about how the midterm elections will go in a county that has been a regular target of election conspiracy theorists and is pivotal for deciding statewide races in one of the nation's most important political battlegrounds.

Why it matters

Maricopa County, Arizona's largest county, is a pivotal battleground for statewide elections, and the discord between the county recorder's office and the board of supervisors over election procedures has sown confusion and distrust among voters. The actions of the Republican county recorder, Justin Heap, who is an election skeptic, have drawn criticism from state officials and raised concerns about the integrity of the upcoming midterm elections in this crucial county.

The details

Heap took office after defeating the incumbent in the 2024 Republican primary. He quickly began challenging the board of supervisors, which is majority Republican, and sued them in June 2025 with the backing of a conservative group. The lawsuit accused the board of negotiating an agreement with Heap's predecessor to transfer money, IT staff, and certain election functions away from his office. A judge largely sided with Heap in the case. Heap has also changed the process for checking voters' signatures on mail ballot envelopes, which some officials say could lead to eligible ballots being rejected. Additionally, Heap has promoted his office's use of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's SAVE system to identify people on the voter rolls who may not be citizens, despite concerns about the system's accuracy.

• Heap took office after defeating the incumbent in the 2024 Republican primary.
• In June 2025, Heap sued the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
• In the November 2025 local election, Heap implemented a new signature verification process that had a 'huge' rejection rate compared to past elections.
• In February 2026, Heap attended a news conference outside Phoenix where then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was promoting a congressional bill that would require documented proof of citizenship to register and vote.
• In September 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice sought preservation of Maricopa County election records, and Heap replied that his office is 'committed to full cooperation' with the DOJ investigation.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The judge's ruling this week in the legal case between Heap and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will give Heap more authority over election operations, which could further impact the upcoming midterm elections in the county.