Politics
Maricopa recorder says early ballot mailing will not disrupt voting operations
Recorder Justin Heap said Donald Trump’s criticism of Maricopa County would not change his office’s work. The dispute followed a vendor’s premature delivery of more than 3,000 early ballots to the post office.
Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap said President Donald Trump’s accusation that the county was “very dishonest” would not affect election operations, after a vendor mistakenly sent more than 3,000 early ballots to the post office six days ahead of schedule.
Heap, a Republican whose office administers mail voting in the Phoenix area, addressed Trump’s comments in an interview Friday, Oct. 16. Trump made the remarks Oct. 5, rejecting the explanation that the early delivery was an error and saying the county had sent ballots illegally.
The recorder’s office said it had not authorized the premature mailing and that voters who requested ballots received the correct ones. The available account did not report that the early delivery changed voters’ ballots or their eligibility.
Heap characterized Trump’s remarks as an off-the-cuff response to a reporter’s shouted question. “It doesn’t really affect our operations in any way,” he said. “So, I think we can just move forward.”
Trump has repeatedly criticized Maricopa County’s elections since losing the county and Arizona to Joe Biden in 2020. The latest remarks renewed scrutiny of the county’s election administration, even as Heap said the incident would not alter his office’s work.