Ignoring Litigation Threat from America First Legal, Maricopa County Supervisors Vote to Install Ballot Drop Boxes

America First Legal (AFL) sent two letters to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (MCBOS) on behalf of Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap recently, warning them that they have no legal authority to install ballot drop boxes, which AFL asserted is solely under the jurisdiction of Heap. Their letter on May 20 warned the MCBOS that setting up the drop boxes constituted criminal felonies.
 

However, the MCBOS ignored the warning letters and voted on May 20 to set up the drop boxes. Only Supervisor Mark Stewart, who has consistently disagreed with the other supervisors on overstepping their authority with Heap, voted against the drop boxes.

In its May 18 letter, AFL accused the MCBOS of defying a court ruling which ordered them to return the parts of Heap’s office they had taken away from him. AFL posted a lengthy thread on X containing a copy of the letter, which began, “The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appears to be attempting to undermine a court order, usurp Recorder Justin Heap’s authority, and keep voters in the dark about a faster way to vote.”

“You have offered no legal authority to support your contention that Recorder’s Office personnel are ‘not authorized to manage’ staff at ballot replacement sites,” AFL said. “You offer none, because Arizona law requires exactly the opposite.”  

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