Overview
- On Friday, May 22, Attorney General Kris Mayes sent a letter saying the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors acted within established practice when it approved ballot drop box locations.
- Recorder Justin Heap’s lawyer had warned that collecting ballots from board-approved boxes could trigger criminal charges by calling drop boxes “early voting locations.”
- Mayes rejected that legal framing, saying a drop box is only a spot to deposit a sealed early ballot packet and not an early voting location where voters get ballots and vote.
- The AG cited the state Elections Procedures Manual, which for multiple editions directs that boards approve drop boxes, as support for the supervisors’ action.
- The underlying statutory dispute over who controls early voting sites remains unresolved and could lead to more legal challenges or appeals as officials prepare for the July 21 primary, with practical effects for election staff and operations.