Pinal County supervisors vote to move elections department to the county recorder

Pinal County supervisors voted unanimously Wednesday to task Recorder Dana Lewis with overseeing their embattled Elections Department.

The decision comes about a week after former Elections Director Geraldine Roll resigned with a scathing email to County Manager Leo Lew, citing a toxic work environment.

She quit after less than a year in the position, and her email accused Lew of failing to protect her from attacks by county officials. She also expressed concern that county supervisors are attempting to politicize the Elections Department.

At Wednesday’s meeting, instead of putting the Elections Department under the county recorder, the supervisors had the option of voting to take more direct control over the department by moving it immediately under the board. Previously, the elections director position reported to Lew, who serves at the pleasure of the board and essentially acts as the county's chief executive officer.

Chairman Jeff Serdy said he preferred putting the department under Lewis because she holds an elected position, making elections "accountable to the citizens."

Pinal County encountered a number of election mishaps during last year's election, including a 500-vote undercount discovered during a recount of two statewide races with tight margins. The undercount didn't change the results of the races but added fuel to election integrity conspiracies and heightened concerns around election administration in the county.

The board's decision to place the position of elections director under the supervision of the county recorder "is the first step toward regaining the confidence of the people of Pinal County in our elections system," Lewis said in an emailed statement after the board's vote.

At Wednesday's meeting, several residents called for hand counting votes in the county, which saw about 140,000 voters last year. In response to a question about it from Supervisor Kevin Cavanaugh, Lewis said she can't legally move forward with hand tallying — at least, not unless several counties work together to write uniform, legally sound procedures for trying it out.

Lewis, who was appointed recorder by the county supervisors in August, must finish drafting a manual of election procedures for the county and find an elections director to work beside her, all while running for election to her position as a Republican in 2024.

Lewis said finding an elections director with Arizona-specific experience is a key priority, but likely to be difficult.

"Any feedback that I have received is that we're in a volatile situation ... for somebody to seamlessly step into that position without someone to provide cover is a bit scary," she said.

One thing is clear, Lewis said: The county has a "moral and legal" obligation to ensure that elections are secure and transparent.

"Reinventing the wheel and learning on the fly is not acceptable and will not work," she said, adding that she will use best practices and proven procedures to run the county's elections.

Changes in Maricopa: Maricopa County just made a critical change to protect elections and democracy

Arizona counties have options for structuring an elections department

Arizona law generally provides counties with three options on how to structure election management, according to Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer.

One option is to have a county's elections director report directly to its board of supervisors.

Another is to put the elections department under the county manager, who serves as an intermediary and reports back to supervisors.

Or, county supervisors can opt to delegate many — but not all — of their responsibilities to the county recorder. Some functions, such as certifying the election, must remain in the hands of the board by state law.

That model is used in several other Arizona counties and was the arrangement in Pinal County until 2017, when the board and former Recorder Virginia Ross agreed to have Lew manage it.

"When you look at counties across the state, all three options are used to varying degrees," Volkmer said. "It's really based on the skill level and the strengths and weaknesses of the various actors involved."

Pinal County isn't the only county to bounce between different models of election responsibility. Maricopa County, for instance, has a complex agreement that spells out which election responsibilities are under supervisors and which ones are under the county recorder. The county also has two elections directors to oversee both areas of responsibility. One of those elections directors was directly under the Maricopa County supervisors until last week, when supervisors voted to place the position under the county manager.

Who is Dana Lewis, Pinal County's recorder?

Lewis, a Casa Grande resident, was appointed to her position as county recorder last year after former Recorder Virginia Ross resigned to head the county's Election Department in the wake of primary election woes.

She has worked for Pinal County since 2019, starting out as an election specialist and eventually becoming deputy recorder. Prior to working for the county, she spent several years in the U.S. Air Force.

"My commitment to excellence in public service began when I took the oath to serve in uniform ... and continues today," Lewis said in her written statement. "I appreciate the confidence and trust placed in me and my office on behalf of the people of Pinal County."

Lewis also serves on the board of the Casa Grande Historical Preservation Commission.

Public mostly expresses support for change

Wednesday's board of supervisors meeting saw a packed house at the county’s historic courthouse in Florence.

Although the agenda included a property tax increase and across-the-board salary increases for county staff, most of the people in the supervisors’ chambers — and the two overflow rooms set up by county staff — were there for the election changes.

Residents were generally in support of putting Lewis in charge of the Elections Department, saying she's proven herself a qualified and capable leader through her work in the Recorder's Office.

Although most of the speakers who came to the podium identified themselves as Republicans, a speaker who said they were a Democrat also spoke in support of Lewis, saying she is bipartisan.

"The overwhelming show of support from the public for this decision was humbling and inspiring," Lewis said in her post-vote statement. "We will immediately begin the work required to deliver free, fair, transparent and accurate elections."

County attorney drafting outline of responsibilities

Supervisors instructed Volkmer and his staff to put together a memorandum outlining the new structure for Pinal County elections administration.

That document will spell out exactly what election responsibilities will be overseen by Lewis and what areas the board will control. It will also set up expectations for both parties.

Supervisors said they hope to see a draft of that agreement in August. Wednesday's meeting was their only one in July. They'll next meet on August 2.

"The devil is in the details," said Supervisor Stephen Miller. "The details will be the memorandum of understanding."

Sasha Hupka covers Maricopa County, Pinal County and regional issues for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip about county government or county services? Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @SashaHupka.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pinal County supervisors vote to move elections under recorder