By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and County Recorder Justin Heap spent another day in court-ordered mediation Monday as the two entities work to reach an agreement on how to run the general election.
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The dispute began last year when Heap sued the board, alleging it illegally took control of election tasks that fall under his authority. Last week, the Arizona State Supreme Court sided with Heap, ordering the board to follow his 12-point plan for the upcoming primary election. Monday’s mediation focused on the general election.
Court ruling shifts focus to November
Both sides have traditionally reached agreements on election administration, but that process broke down this cycle.
With the primary plan now resolved by court order, the two sides entered mediation to work out arrangements for the general election. Neither side commented on how the mediation session went.
Election expert raises concerns about voter confidence
Matt Crane, who has more than two decades of experience overseeing elections in Colorado, said he has been following the Maricopa County situation closely.
“Things like this, when it causes confusion, it creates chaos, and it can have a suppressing effect on turnout because people don’t know what to expect,” Crane said. “Will my vote count or are things going to be handled properly? So all of this so close to an election is not healthy for an elections and voters confidence in that election.”
Crane added: “It is unique and I wish I could say it was unique in a good way.”
He called for a swift resolution.
“Let’s just get this figured out as quickly as possible and then reassure the voters that they’re going to be able to vote independently and in an accessible way,” Crane said.
Voters drop off ballots amid ongoing dispute
Voters were dropping off ballots at Arizona State’s West Valley campus, one of many early voting sites across Maricopa County, as the legal dispute continued.
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Rhett Lee said he wanted to make sure his vote was properly received.
“Just want to make sure it physically gets dropped off, and I have the tracking set up, so I can see where it is in the process,” Lee said.
He added: “You can’t just sit home and do nothing. You need to get out and at least attempt to be a part of the system.”
Katherine McMullin said she voted out of a sense of obligation.
“It’s my civic duty,” McMullin said. “At least if I vote, I can have an opinion.”
She expressed confidence the dispute would be resolved.
“There’s always going to be a problem somewhere down the road, and that doesn’t bother me. They’ll figure it out,” she said.
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