In a Feb 26, 2026 court hearing, Maricopa County Board attorney Kory Langhofer admitted the Board could still vote to remove elected Recorder Justin Heap in the future, confirming no closure on the removal issue. This leaves a constant threat hanging over Heap’s head despite his compliance report.

Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap rejected the Board of Supervisors' proposed early voting plan, citing uneven site distribution (e.g., Mesa's one site vs. Tempe's three) and lack of collaboration. He accused the Board of misrepresenting spreadsheet contents.

Timeline reveals coordinated push with the radical left by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to oust Maricopa Recorder Justin Heap. Heap sues, arguing statute unconstitutional & limited to fiscal oversight per Sanchez v. Maricopa County. Court hearing February 26.

Maricopa Board of Supervisors (BOS) passed a non-binding "Resolution in Lieu of SSA" on Feb 18, 2026, mirroring the 2024 deal that stripped Recorder Heap of statutory duties. It offers a weak negotiation baseline, rejects Agilis sorting machine purchase needed for timely provisional/proof-of-citizenship ballot processing, and keeps BOS control over Recorder's statutory duties—potentially disenfranchising voters. Recorder Justin Heap was in the meeting room during the SSA disc

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, citing A.R.S. § 11-253(A), demands Recorder Justin Heap provide a comprehensive sworn report and testimony or risk removal under a broad “neglect” standard that allows low-bar interpretation for being ousted.

Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap scored two major court victories. First, the judge ruled he can retain outside counsel pro bono without County Attorney approval. Second, a TRO blocked the BOS subpoenas targeting his staff as potential retaliation. BOS defies Judge Blaney's TRO by scheduling Feb 9 testimony session anyway. Order to Show Cause hearing set for Feb 11 at 9:00 a.m. to address the defiance.

In sworn testimony on January 26, 2026, Maricopa County Senior Director of Voter Registration Janine Petty revealed that legal voters who cast provisional ballots in the 2024 General Election—but timely provided required proof of citizenship or residency—were illegally disenfranchised, as their full ballots (including state and local races) were not pulled and counted per Arizona law.

2K+ "Lost" Ballot Affidavit Envelopes Unearthed in Friday Post-Election Chaos. Recorder Heap Exposes County Supervisors’ Power Grab Gone Wrong.

Signature Verifications Completed in Blazing 48 Hours with Groundbreaking New Process Adding More Integrity, Security and Transparency -- Despite Constant Roadblocks from the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors