It’s an important week for Maricopa County elections and the partnership that will empower you to vote confidently in 2026. In the courtroom and in the boardroom, we will be fighting for you.

Voting is personal

When you cast your ballot, you are making a powerful and personal statement about the issues that matter most to you; what you want to see in your community, state, and country; and who will help lead the way to the brighter future you imagine. 

As someone who has won and lost close races of my own, I know that trust in the system is paramount. That is why I have spent years learning how elections are actually run in Maricopa County — and why I remain confident in the integrity, professionalism and dedication of the people who do this work every day.

Our Elections Department is nonpartisan. The people running our elections are your friends and neighbors. They vote too. And they care for your ballot as if it were their own.

As county leaders, we demonstrate our care for voters through deliberate choices and sustained investment focused on three core priorities: transparency, efficiency and continuous improvement.

Transparency and improvement build confidence

I believe in a “show” not a “tell” method for voter education. I’ve heard over and over: people don’t want to feel like they are being told or simply expected to trust our election system; they want to see how it works for themselves so that trust becomes earned.

That is why Maricopa County has expanded public tours, opened observation opportunities, and increased live video feeds of our election facilities. Transparency is one of democracy’s strongest safeguards. When people can see the process for themselves, confidence grows.

Early in 2025, the Board of Supervisors commissioned a comprehensive, independent review of our election processes, including the security of your ballots and the machines used to tabulate them. That work is nearly complete, and we will share the findings publicly in the coming months. Where auditors identify opportunities to do better, we will act — swiftly and openly.

Continuous improvement is not a sign of weakness; it is a commitment to excellence.

Efficiency matters

Voters also deserve timely results.

Election night is not just about who wins, it’s about public confidence that accurate results are being delivered in a timely manner. That is why I am committed to putting the resources behind our Elections Department to count ballots faster, without sacrificing accuracy, security, or transparency. That means staffing and planning well ahead of Election Day.

But efficiency does not exist in a vacuum.

Working together is not optional

Arizona law intentionally divides election responsibilities between the county recorder and the board of supervisors. That structure requires cooperation. It always has.

Unfortunately, the current county recorder has suggested he can “go it alone” and has sued the board to gain power. A hearing in Heap v. Galvin is scheduled for Jan. 26. The lawsuit is an unnecessary and costly distraction from the people’s business, in my opinion.

The current board and recorder have run four smooth, lawful elections together under our normal division of responsibility. We are only in court because the recorder does not like how the law requires us to work together to run them.

That disagreement does not serve voters.

At the end of January, the recorder will present his proposed budget to the board. To plan responsibly for 2026, we need this budget request to provide clarity and understanding, specifically when it comes to the recorder’s new plan for signature verification. If we know the rate of verification, we can plan to staff double shifts and commit to reporting results faster than ever before. However, without coordination between our offices, we cannot accurately staff up, budget or design systems to meet voter demand — no matter how many resources the County commits.

A call to partnership

Litigation may continue. But it does not excuse a failure to collaborate.

In the words of Helen Purcell, Maricopa County’s longest-serving elections official: elections work best when professionals work together. That wisdom still applies.

My message to Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap is simple: let’s make the 2026 elections about our voters. Let’s work together. The public deserves nothing less, and our democracy demands it.

Elections are not about titles, turf, or personalities of elected officials. They are about honoring our voters and creating a trustworthy, efficient system that empowers them to vote confidently.  Instilling that confidence is our joint responsibility. As chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, I, along with my fellow board members will work every day to earn that confidence.

Kate Brophy-McGee is the Chair of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.