AG steps in with stern warning as MAGA official threatens to jail election workers

By voting to designate drop box locations, Board members did not become criminals. And, by collecting ballots at these drop box locations, Board employees would not become criminals.On the contrary, she continued, the Board was following established practice. Every two years, Arizona's Secretary of State issues an Elections Procedures Manual with rules governing 'early voting and voting,' as well as 'collecting, counting, tabulating, and storing ballots' and other subjects. A.R.S. § 16-452.Recorder Heap's counsel claims that the rule conflicts with a statute that authorizes Recorder Heap to establish 'early voting locations,' wrote Mayes. But, as a matter of common sense, a drop box is not an early voting location. It is simply a place to deposit a voted and sealed early ballot packet. One cannot obtain a ballot and fill it out at a drop box like one can at an early voting location. Indeed, if Recorder Heap's counsel were correct, every mailbox in the state would be an early voting location, and every mail carrier could be accused of illegally harvesting ballots.Mayes concluded the letter by warning Heap not to continue making unfounded threats of criminal liability against county officials and election workers.