Maricopa County election error draws criticism from Donald Trump

President Donald Trump criticized election officials in Maricopa County, Arizona, following a vendor error that resulted in approximately 3,126 early ballots being mailed to voters six days ahead of schedule.

The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, led by Republican Recorder Justin Heap, stated that the error was made by Runbeck Election Services. The company reported that the ballots were processed separately because they did not qualify for automated mail processing and were mistakenly included in a mail release the previous evening.

Officials clarified that the ballots were sent to the correct voters and remain valid for completion and return. The county recorder’s office noted that the error would have no impact on the voters who received them. In response to the incident, President Trump described the county as “very, very dishonest” and stated that officials should “be ashamed of themselves.”