A judge in Arizona has ruled that Justin Heap, the Republican recorder of Maricopa County (the state's most populous county, encompassing Phoenix), must have key election powers restored to his office after the county board of supervisors was found to have unlawfully seized control of them. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney ruled that the board had exceeded its legal authority by taking over the recorder's personnel, systems, and equipment, and clarified that responsibilities such as overseeing in-person early voting fall under the recorder's remit. The ruling carries significant weight in a prominent US electoral battleground state ahead of upcoming midterm races, though the board's chairwoman, Kate Brophy McGee, indicated she may pursue an appeal.