Maricopa County's election IT fight isn't about IT. It's about democracy.
Democracy in Maricopa County is dangerously close to falling into the hands of a partisan actor with direct ties to President Donald Trump’s election conspiracy machine.
On April 17, the Maricopa County Superior Court issued a landmark ruling that could hand Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap total control over our election IT infrastructure. While the court may see this as a narrow legal interpretation of the recorder’s powers, the community must recognize the moral and security stakes.
This is not a dry dispute over staffing; it is a fight for the keys to our democracy.
Thanks to investigative reporting from Votebeat, the mask has slipped. Heap’s private communications reveal a man less interested in administrative efficiency and more focused on “full cooperation” with Trump’s administration and a Department of Justice eager to launch fishing expeditions into our past and long-settled elections.
https://azmirror.com/2026/05/12/maricopa-county-justin-heap-election-it-fight-isnt-about-it/