May 15, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap Rejects Thomas Galvin’s Attempts to Undermine Election Integrity; Submits Final Shared Services Agreement to Fully Reclaim Recorder’s Statutory Authority

PHOENIX, AZ – Today, Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap submitted his final Shared Services Agreement (SSA) proposal to the Board of Supervisors in an attempt to amicably resolve the ongoing dispute over the state’s largest election system.

This dispute originated when, after losing re-election in a landslide during the 2024 primary election, outgoing Recorder Stephen Richer and the current Chairman of the Board, along with a lame-duck Board majority, quickly and secretly executed a new SSA that took effect on December 10, 2024, stripping the incoming Recorder of significant election responsibilities and drastically shrinking his budget and staff.

Upon taking office, Recorder Heap revoked the absurd SSA that the Board and Richer had collusively signed in an attempt to prevent Recorder Heap from exercising his statutory responsibilities over elections. Since then, Recorder Heap has tirelessly pursued every reasonable avenue to engage the Board of Supervisors in negotiating a new SSA that returns the Recorder’s statutory authority, budget, staff, and ability to deliver honest, secure, and transparent elections. Through formal letters, emails, phone calls, and direct meeting requests, the Recorder has sought a collaborative solution to ensure secure, efficient elections. Despite these good faith efforts, the Board of Supervisors, led by Thomas Galvin, has made no meaningful attempts to address these critical issues in any of their SSA drafts, instead choosing to gaslight the public with a propaganda campaign of mis- and disinformation about the ongoing negotiations, while limiting Recorder Heap’s ability to participate in their public proceedings and outright banning participation by members of the public.

Make no mistake, due to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ chaotic and reckless actions, Arizona’s most populous county currently has no SSA in place — jeopardizing election readiness and security, and positioning the 2025 special elections and 2026 election for failure and a repeat of the chaos that has seemingly become the norm for Maricopa County in recent elections.

Given the Board’s failure to negotiate and act in good faith, the Recorder’s Office has no choice but to demand all of its statutory authority be returned and that all necessary budget for the performance of those duties be provided immediately, as is consistent with state law and precedent. Today’s final SSA proposal, which was drafted in collaboration with MCAO-assigned counsel, former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould, does precisely that by returning the parties to their statutorily imposed duties. This final SSA proposal by Recorder Heap represents the most secure and lawful manner of administering the shared election responsibilities required under current Arizona law.

It is likely, based on their behavior since the start of this process, that the Board and their left-wing media allies will again attempt to gaslight the public and wage a propaganda campaign against the Recorder’s Office; however, it will not deter this office from its responsibilities under the Arizona Constitution and Arizona Revised Statutes.

Recorder Heap and the team at the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office are committed to delivering on the promises that were made on the campaign trail — delivering more secure, honest, and transparent elections for all Maricopa County voters, regardless of Party.  If the Board of Supervisors continues to play childish games with the security and integrity of our elections, Recorder Heap will exercise every available remedy under the law to prevent them from further eroding public trust in this foundational institution of our Republic.

Recorder Heap issued the following statement:

“Ensuring that voters can have confidence in the process and outcome of our elections is the civil rights issue of our time. I was elected with a clear mandate from the voters. They’re tired of our elections being the laughingstock of the nation, and they want them fixed immediately. I intend to do precisely that, and I will utilize every tool under state and federal law to do so. The people of Maricopa County deserve better than the appalling behavior and gaslighting from the Board of Supervisors that has taken place thus far in this process. Don’t forget—the only reason we’re in this situation is because, less than 90 days before I took office, the Board and Stephen Richer collusively signed a sham SSA that was designed to do only one thing: keep me from fixing Maricopa County’s elections. Fortunately for the voters, no matter how many lies the Board may choose to spread about me and my office, I will stay focused on delivering more secure, more honest, and more transparent elections.” 

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Contact: Ilene Haber
[email protected]