Phoenix (AZ Family) — Maricopa County is the second-largest voting jurisdiction in the nation, making Arizona once again a key battleground state in the November election.

Maricopa County’s election process has come under intense scrutiny over the past two cycles, and now voters will have the opportunity to elect a new recorder. The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office is responsible for some voter registration and mail-in voting.

Who is running for Maricopa County Recorder?

State Rep. Justin Heap defeated incumbent record-holder Stephen Richer in the primary and is running as a Republican.

Richer has been a passionate defender of the county election system and the results of the 2020 and 2022 elections. During just one term in office, he faced death threats and was denounced by his own party.

Full text: Richer ousted as Maricopa County Recorder for not supporting Republican election theory

Heap currently represents Mesa’s 10th District.

“I have served in Congress for the past two years,” Heap said. “I serve on the House Elections Committee, so I’ve spent the last two years looking at the problems we have in our election system, studying Arizona’s election laws, and figuring out ways we can improve our election system. We have been exploring ways to improve transparency and efficiency.

Tim Stringham is a political newcomer and is running as a Democrat. He is an attorney and a veteran of the U.S. Army and Navy.

“I’ve been saying to people all along that I think it’s crazy to want to be in politics, but I think it’s crazy to leave politics to some people who have experience in politics. And “I’m really proud of the elections department,” he said. “I think they did a very good job under stressful circumstances, and I think it’s an incredible honor to be a part of that department.”

Who is supporting the candidates?

Heap official campaign Website contains recommendations From Senate candidate Kari Lake and Representatives Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar. The heap is State Sen. Jake Hoffman adopted as candidatehas been accused of a so-called “fake elector” scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election. He maintains his innocence.

Stringham has recently received support from: senator mark kelly, voting rights fundand Congressman Greg Stantonamong others.

How will the candidates be different from the current recorders?

Mr Heap has criticized the electoral system and believes voter confidence is at an all-time low. If elected, he believes there will need to be a lot of support and education.

Read more: Poll: More than 60% of Arizona voters are concerned about election fraud

“I think the biggest thing that we need to change in office is how we actually interact with the public and how transparent we are on issues,” Heap said. “I think the trend within the administration was to defend the administration, defend the electoral process, and not listen when voters expressed genuine concerns about the election.”

Heap pointed to issues such as delays at polling places and printers not working on Election Day 2022.

Stringham thinks Richer has done a great job. In a past interview with Arizona Families, he acknowledged the process wasn’t perfect but said he wanted any changes to be based on fact and not fiction. If someone has concerns about the election, Stringham wants to listen thoughtfully.

“I think we, as a society, need to find ways to change the tone in which we speak to each other,” Stringham said. “And I think there are a lot of people who have questions about the election, and either they have sincere doubts themselves or they’re misinformed because other people are lying to them. And if we call them crazy or try to make them feel like “fuck off” in any way, I don’t think that’s productive and won’t yield the right results. ”

In the end it is Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, responsible for overseeing Election Day operations and vote tabulation;.

What do candidates think about election fraud investigations?

Mr. Heap has previously dodged questions about whether the recent election was stolen. Arizona’s family asked him about it twice.

Whitney Clark: So, just to be as clear as possible, do you not believe that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Trump?

Justin Heap: I have no position on whether it was stolen or not. I don’t think we can prove that, but I also don’t think we can make an absolute conclusion that something was somehow stolen because of the irregularities in how it’s run. Unfortunately, that’s how I feel about the media, and forgive me, Whitney, but the media puts things in black and white terms and says there are only two things anyone can believe. I think this is causing a disadvantage to the people. It’s either completely honest and just, or completely rigged and stolen. ”

Heap went on to say that he wants to move forward and avoid a permanent fight over the system. He wants to make sure all Arizonans, regardless of party, can vote with confidence.

Heap doesn’t think this is a simple “yes” or “no” question, but multiple audits and investigations have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Arizona, and Republicans, including Lake, believe there will be fraud in 2020. It has lost years of legal battles alleging it influenced the 2020 and 2022 elections. result.

Stringham firmly believes the past two election cycles were honest. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t concerns, he says.

“It’s frustrating when you’re waiting in line and your printer doesn’t work,” Stringham said. “We know we all lead extremely busy lives, but it can be very frustrating to be standing in line wondering when you can go back to work.

“It doesn’t mean the election results have changed, it doesn’t mean someone did anything malicious. We’ve all lived in a world where printers break. Technology isn’t perfect, so We always want to improve those processes, but that doesn’t mean your neighbors are going to come out and get you.”

WATCH: Take a tour of Maricopa County’s Tally and Elections Center

What do candidates think about voting by mail?

Earlier this year, Heap voted in favor of a bill that would eliminate early voting and mail-in voting. The bill was not passed. Mr. Heap believes it has become mandatory to encourage as many people to vote in person as possible.

“This is clearly the safest method,” Heap said. “But right now we have laws that allow for mail-in voting. I’m running for the executive branch. It’s the legislature that makes the laws, and the executive branch is responsible for enforcing them.”

Read more: How Arizona protects the mail-in voting process

Stringham agrees that it is the responsibility of authorities to enforce the law, but voting by mail is personally important to him. He voted from overseas while serving in places like Afghanistan and Hawaii.

“Arizona is in business,” Stringham said. “People have a real duty and voting should not be an arduous task. Governments should be accountable to the people, and the people should build walls to hold their governments accountable.” There’s no need to get over it.”

Full text: Frequently asked questions: Everything you need to know about mail-in voting in Arizona

of Citizen Clean Election Management Committee He said Arizona law has allowed mail-in voting for more than 20 years and “established laws and procedures ensure early voting is safe and secure.”

According to Latest information from Maricopa County election officialsMore than 2.1 million people in the county are expected to vote in the November election. About 85% of those voters are expected to vote early, either in-person or by mail.

With two pages of ballots in Maricopa County this year, officials have warned that there could be long lines on Election Day and suggested several ways to prepare.

Anyone elected to the recorder’s position, whether Heap or Stringham, will serve a four-year term.

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