County Elections Official Under Fire Over 83,000 Erroneous Voter Registration Threats

PHOENIX — Over 83,000 registered voters in Maricopa County received unsettling letters this week, alerting them that their voter registrations could face suspension. The letters erroneously indicated that they had obtained driver’s licenses in other states.

This mix-up, originating from the Maricopa County Recorder’s office, led to confusion among recipients, many of whom feared they were victims of identity theft. Republican Recorder Justin Heap’s office was inundated with calls as concerned voters sought clarification.

“My first thought was maybe there was some sort of identity theft,” said Kris Bliznick, a north Phoenix resident who received the letter. He expressed frustration at the confusing situation.

The letters, dated June 7, advised recipients to confirm their registration within 90 days or risk being moved to an inactive voter list. This false alarm triggered hundreds of calls to the recorder’s office, with some callers enduring long hold times before getting an explanation.

John Waldron, another affected voter, described his experience: “We were on hold for almost an hour. When we finally got through, they acknowledged they received a flood of calls about the letters.” He was informed that the Department of Transportation had made an error in the voter database.

In response to the growing inquiries, Heap released a statement late Friday, shifting the blame to an unnamed third-party vendor. He asserted that the mistake was not due to internal errors within the Recorder’s office, and confirmed that this vendor would bear the costs of mailing corrected letters to affected voters.

Heap stated, “A long-time County vendor mistakenly sent out incorrect letters to about 83,000 voters. The correction process is underway.” However, the name of the vendor remains undisclosed.

Upset voters like Bliznick voiced their frustrations, suspecting either systemic voter suppression or identity theft, only to discover the truth: it was an administrative error. “It was just people not doing their job right,” he summarized.

The notification should have asked the affected voters for proof of citizenship to maintain their registration. The error is tied to a database glitch uncovered last year that impacted numerous voters. The corrected letters are being mailed out, and recipients will have 90 days to respond once they arrive.

This incident unfolds amid existing political tensions between Heap and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Board Chair Thomas Galvin criticized the blunder during a recent interview, highlighting the potential implications of erroneous voter correspondence.

He remarked, “The fact that any voter would receive an erroneous letter informing them they’re being kicked off the voter rolls is problematic.” Galvin also suggested Heap should refocus on his responsibilities instead of seeking media attention.