Inside Shared Services Agreements and Election Administration in Maricopa County
Background and timeline on the election responsibilities in Maricopa County
Many of my constituents have been contacting my office asking questions about the Shared Services Agreement (SSA) between the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the Recorder. I want to provide some background on what an SSA is and why it matters.
In Maricopa County, election responsibilities fall under both the Board of Supervisors and the Recorder’s office. Because state law does not spell out every operational detail of those responsibilities, the Board and Recorder enter into a Shared Services Agreement that clarifies roles and outlines how the two departments work together to administer elections.
After Recorder Heap took office last January, he requested a new SSA that aligns with his priorities and approach to election administration. Because Arizona open meeting laws limit how many Board members can negotiate an item outside of a public meeting, a subcommittee made up of the previous Chair and Vice-Chair worked with the Recorder to negotiate an agreement.
The negotiations eventually hit a stalemate, and the Recorder filed a lawsuit in June 2025 to settle the matter of election administration duties. We are continuing to work towards a resolution, and I remain hopeful that an agreement can be finalized soon.
Below is additional background on what an SSA is, why it was created, how it evolved in Maricopa County, and what may come next.
Note: This article is intended as a high-level overview of the Shared Services Agreement (SSA) and the events surrounding it. Election administration in Maricopa County involves complex statutes, legal interpretations, and ongoing developments. For clarity and brevity, some details have been simplified or summarized, and this overview is not intended to cover every document, conversation, or interpretation.
Before diving deeper into the history, here is a quick timeline of the major developments surrounding the SSA in Maricopa County.
Quick Timeline of the SSA in Maricopa County
• 1955 — County charter allows the Recorder to administer most election operations on behalf of the Board.
• 2018 — Election day setup issues at 62 voting locations create hours-long lines affecting roughly 11,000 voters.
• 2019 — The Board and Recorder enter into an Elections Operations Agreement, the precursor to the modern Shared Services Agreement (SSA).
• 2020–2024 — Updated SSAs are negotiated between the Board and Recorder.
• October 2024 — Outgoing officials approve a new SSA.
• January 2025 — Recorder Heap terminates the 2024 SSA and requests negotiations on a new agreement.
• June 2025 — The Recorder files a lawsuit seeking clarity on election administration duties.
• Present — Negotiations and legal proceedings continue while the Board adopts interim policy guidance.
What is an SSA?
A Shared Services Agreement (SSA) is a formal agreement between two or more parties that specifies how each party will share or divide responsibilities. These agreements are commonly used in government to outline how departments collaborate on functions such as IT, finance, procurement, or other administrative services.
An SSA clearly explains what each office is responsible for and how they work together.
The SSA in Maricopa County between the Recorder and the Board is relatively new. Up until 2019, there was no formal SSA. Instead, a 1955 Charter that allowed the Recorder to carry out most election administration responsibilities on behalf of the Board.
Under the charter, the Recorder had primary responsibility for administering elections.
Why an SSA was Created —
Following the 2018 election day setup issue at 62 election sites that created hours-long lines affecting approximately 11,000 voters, the then Board voted to take a more active role in election duties.
This would have been the second time within approximately two years that voters were affected on election day, although for different reasons and under different Recorders.
In response, the following year the Board and Recorder entered into an SSA. The new agreement restructured the county’s elections department, hiring an Elections Director who reports to the Board, expanding elections staff, and heavily investing in upgrading technology.
The History —
In October of 2019, Recorder Fontes and the Board agreed to enter into an Elections Operations Agreement, which served as the precursor to what would become the SSA.
At the time, the agreement stated it would:
“…outline specific ways the Board of Supervisors and Recorder’s Office will share responsibilities for planning and executing elections in the nation’s fastest-growing county. The agreement amends a 65-year-old charter that provided the Recorder nearly all county elections responsibilities.”1
When Recorder Richer took office in January 2020, he worked with the Board to negotiate updated agreements, using the 2019 Elections Operating Agreement as a starting point. The Board and Recorder signed SSAs in 2021, 2023, and 2024.
After losing re-election during the 2024 primary election, Recorder Richer and a Board majority of outgoing members approved a new SSA late in October 2024. The new agreement did not take effect until December 10, 2024, only a few weeks before the newly elected Recorder Heap and three newly elected Board members (including me) took office.
Once Recorder Heap took office in January 2025, he terminated the 2024 SSA, citing Arizona law and legal interpretations that a voluntary agreement entered into by prior officeholders does not automatically bind newly elected officials without their consent.
Recorder Heap then requested that we negotiate a new SSA with the new Board, which led us to today.
What Comes Next —
While negotiations for a 2026 SSA are ongoing and the courts are still considering the matter of election administration duties, the Board recently held a special public meeting.
During that meeting, the Board unanimously approved a resolution establishing policy guidance for election administration between the Board and the Recorder while a new SSA is being negotiated.
This meeting was a step in a positive direction. I was pleased this matter was discussed publicly, something I have been advocating for since I took office in January 2025.
Final Thoughts —
My hope is that this matter with the SSA will be resolved soon so we can deliver best-in-class elections in the second-largest voting jurisdiction in the nation.
I will continue to work in good faith as a member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to ensure our voters can trust that our elections are fair, transparent, and secure.
If you have additional questions about the SSA or election administration in Maricopa County, please feel free to contact my office. My goal is to keep constituents informed and ensure transparency in how our elections are administered.