A discovery of 2,288 unattended ballot envelopes left at a ballot-replacement site in Maricopa County has sparked fresh political tension between the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, intensifying an ongoing legal dispute over election administration.

Editor’s Note: The Recorder’s office corrected their original statement that the ballots were located in Fountain Hills. The correct location was West Valley.

On the morning of November 7, 2025, the Recorder’s Office issued a statement saying that staff discovered two boxes of sealed ballots at a replacement site in Fountain Hills. You can read the statement here.

County election workers discovered the two boxes during an inspection of equipment returned from voting locations. A bipartisan team took custody of the ballots to preserve the chain of custody until signature verification processes are completed, as observers and officials voiced concern and frustration. One Fountain Hills community member commented, “When thousands of ballots sit unattended, people rightly wonder if their vote truly counts.”

This latest error occurred against the backdrop of a significant ongoing legal struggle between The Recorder’s Office and the Board of Supervisors. The Recorder is alleging that the Board is overstepping its statutory role in administering replacement sites and election functions assigned by state law to the Recorder. The Board has described the lawsuit as “frivolous” and stated that the Recorder’s claims mischaracterize the funding and operational realities. However, the latest incident adds credence to the Recorder’s concerns.

While the 2,288 ballots have been secured and are reportedly proceeding through signature verification, the incident raises critical issues of election security. The Recorder’s Office has indicated that voters whose ballots were affected will be contacted promptly to ensure their votes are counted before the signature-curing deadline per A.R.S. § 16-550(A).

This incident occurred at a time when confidence in election administration in Maricopa County is facing growing public scrutiny. Both sides claim to be committed to transparency, but public trust is likely to depend on how promptly and thoroughly this situation is explained to the public.

Jennifer Liewer, Deputy Elections Director of the Maricopa County Elections Department, released an official Statement. She stated, “This morning, as part of standard post-election protocols, elections workers inspected equipment that had been returned from voting locations. This process includes unpacking and logging equipment. During this inspection, two sealed transport boxes of returned ballot affidavit envelopes were found inside a blue drop box. While the transport boxes did have tamper-evident seals, ensuring the security of ballots, poll workers had mistakenly placed the sealed boxes inside a blue drop box rather than returning them on Election Night. Immediately after the discovery, a bipartisan team of election staff took custody of the sealed bins and worked quickly to ensure the chain of custody was followed. The green affidavit envelopes will now be signature-verified and processed for tabulation (see photo below). Per statute, green affidavit envelopes are to be counted at the close of voting on Election Night. Counted envelopes are then placed in a large bin, sealed, and returned to the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center.”

It’s unclear how the ballots arrived at the location or why they were left unattended. The Arizona Globe will continue to follow this unfolding story.