Grand Canyon Times

A longtime critic of Maricopa County’s election policies and procedures has won the Republican primary for the office in charge of overseeing those very functions.

Rep. Justin Heap emerged victorious in a hotly contested race against incumbent Stephen Richer and Don W. Hiatt. Heap will face-off against attorney and democrat Tim Stringham in the General Election on Nov. 5.

"Today is an exciting day in Arizona and a great day for America! This November, we will end the laughingstock elections that have plagued our county, state and nation," Heap wrote, in part on X. "Let me be clear, this is the second most important race after re-electing President Donald Trump on the ballot this general election in Arizona, and Arizona is the most important swing state in America."  

Three attempts made by Grand Canyon Times to reach Heap were unsuccessful.

On July 29, one day before the Primary, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would be overseeing election operations in Maricopa County, in order to “monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws.”

“The Justice Department enforces the federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. In addition, the division also deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, where authorized by federal court order,” the Department said in a press release.

“The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Act and Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.”

Maricopa County and its election processes have found themselves in turmoil in recent years, including in 2022 when an independent probe by former state Supreme Court Justice Ruth McGregor found that a combination of older printers and longer ballots printed on heavier paper contributed to some ballots not being able to be scanned on Election Day.

"Ensuring clean and accurate voter rolls is a foundational duty of the County Recorder, yet despite years of complaints by voters about inaccurate rolls nothing has been addressed or improved," Heap wrote on Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. "It’s time to put politics aside and finally get the job done. Maricopa County elections take longer to count than nearly any jurisdiction in America. This is unacceptable. Voters deserve a Recorder who will deliver accurate election results more quickly."

The Primary Election came several weeks after a temporary election worker in Maricopa County was captured on surveillance video allegedly stealing a “digital magnetic key” from a tabulation center.

The Maricopa County Supervisor’s Office explained that the suspect, Walter Ringfield, 27, passed a criminal background check when examined, because he was enrolled in a felony diversion program.

Ringfield had been arrested in September of last year for stealing $1,800 from a grocery store.

According to Maricopa County Recorder Richer, “The hiring of temporary workers, as well as oversight of tabulation, all fall under the statutory authority of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ elections team.”

The Board of Supervisors issued a statement on Ringfield’s arrest and on the operations for the Primary Election.

“Election security remains our top priority and the protocols established to secure election equipment worked in this situation. The quick response by staff ensured that there was no risk to the security of ballot tabulation equipment. The reprogramming of the tabulation equipment immediately deactivated the black security key. There is always an element of risk in any process – especially when dealing with human beings, but we have multiple layers of security to mitigate this risk,” a Board of Supervisors spokesperson said.

“These multiple layers of security worked exactly as they should in this situation. When employing more than 2000 employees, you will find people with all backgrounds, beliefs, and motivations. We believe our security protocols mitigate motivations that might be nefarious. Temporary employees assigned to Maricopa County Tabulation and Elections Center must undergo a background check. No convictions were returned on this temporary employee.”

Heap was elected to represent Arizona's 10th district in 2023. The Tucson native earned both his undergraduate and law degree from Arizona State University, according to Ballotpedia.