Maricopa County Recorder Announces Creation of New Compliance Division

March 31, 2026

PHOENIX, AZ – Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap is pleased to announce the creation of a new Compliance Division under the direction of Yolanda Morales. Ms. Morales, who was a key individual in identifying the MVD-DPOC issue while serving in the Arizona Secretary of State’s office, was hired by MCRO last April as a Compliance Officer for Voter Registration. Based on Ms. Morales’s exceptional work and clear expertise since joining the office, Recorder Justin Heap is promoting Ms. Morales to the role of Director of Compliance with oversight of all Recorder operations.

“From day one, I promised Maricopa County residents that the Recorder’s Office under my leadership would deliver fair, fast, and accurate elections that reflect the will of the voters,” said Recorder Heap. “Yolanda Morales has been an invaluable addition to our office. Under her leadership, I am confident this new division, with designated experts in each area of Recorder Operations reporting to Yolanda, will further strengthen and enhance our ability to deliver on the commitment we have made to the citizens of Maricopa County.”

Yolanda Morales is a Certified Elections Registration Administrator (CERA) with over 30 years of professional experience, including 16 years at the Arizona Secretary of State's office, with expertise in election administration, compliance, and process improvement.

“It is a privilege to support the Recorder’s mission and to continue serving the voters of Maricopa County,” said Morales. “Throughout my career, I’ve been committed to building election processes that are accurate, transparent, and fully compliant, because that is how public trust is earned. I look forward to working with our dedicated teams and community partners to strengthen our operations and ensure every eligible voter can participate with confidence.”

Yolanda has also served as Senior Voter Registration Operations & Programs Manager and Senior Elections Policy Manager with the Arizona Secretary of State's office. Her accomplishments include overseeing voter registration policy operations, managing high-stakes programs including Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) compliance, Electronic Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) reporting, and serving as the statewide point of contact for critical election data submissions.

Yolanda is fluent in Spanish, enabling her to effectively engage with diverse communities. She holds multiple professional certifications, including designation as an Arizona Certified Election Officer, and has completed extensive training in leadership, compliance, and voter registration systems.

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