Maricopa official urges reforms, requests report after spike in rejected mail‑in signatures
Loading...
Summary
An unidentified Maricopa County official outlined near‑complete audits of election procedures, announced expanded public observation measures, and asked Recorder Heap for a report on roughly 6,000 rejected mail‑in ballot signatures after the county found a threefold increase.
An unidentified Maricopa County official announced steps the county is taking to bolster voter confidence and asked the county recorder’s office to produce a report on a sharp increase in rejected mail‑in ballot signatures.
The speaker said the county commissioned a comprehensive review of election processes early in 2025, including technology and chain‑of‑custody procedures, and that the review is nearly complete. "I am confident in how Maricopa County elections are run," the Unidentified Speaker said, adding the county will share audit findings at a public meeting in the coming months.
Why it matters: The comments come in a critical midterm election year and follow a finding from the November canvas that the number of rejected mail‑in ballot signatures tripled. The speaker said the county has requested a report from the Recorder’s office on "the nearly 6,000 voters who had their signatures rejected last fall" to ensure eligible voters can participate in future elections.
Details: The official described the elections department as nonpartisan and called election workers "your friends and your neighbors," urging public thanks for staff and volunteers. The county plans to increase public observation by offering more facility tours and live video feeds so residents can see the ballot‑handling process for themselves.
On reforms, the speaker urged the state legislature and governor to consider an election package similar to the "95/1 plan" Supervisor Galvin proposed last year. "These reforms would empower elections departments to have 95% of all votes tabulated by the end of election night," the speaker said.
The speech also noted a legal division of responsibility: "state statute splits election responsibilities between the Board of Supervisors and the county recorder," the speaker said, and called on officials to rise above personal animosities and predetermined political views to work together for voters' benefit.
The county thanked Recorder Heap in the remarks: "Recorder Heap, thank you for being here," the speaker said. The speaker invoked Helen Purcell, identified in the remarks as Maricopa County's longest‑serving elections official, and urged officials to make the 2026 elections "an opportunity to do things better, to work together."
Next steps: The county plans to publish the auditors' findings at a public meeting once the review is completed and will use the Recorder’s report on rejected signatures to consider operational changes intended to reduce disenfranchisement. No formal motions or votes were recorded in the transcript.
