Maricopa County, Arizona

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona has opened an investigation, now referred to the FBI, into three nonprofits — Stand Indivisible Arizona, Worker Power, and When We Count — over allegations they registered noncitizens to vote ahead of next week's midterm elections. Officials cited written and video reports suggesting personnel from the groups disregarded or ignored Arizona's ban on registering noncitizens. Letters were also sent to the Maricopa County recorder and the Arizona secretary of state urging a review of the organizations' registration practices. Officials stressed that only registered citizens may vote and that knowingly registering noncitizens would violate federal law.

Civil rights leader and labor organizer Dolores Huerta died Wednesday at age 96. Co-founder of the United Farm Workers union, Huerta coined the rallying cry "Sí, se puede!" during a 1972 Phoenix protest against an anti-labor law and spent decades advocating for farmworkers, women, and civil rights, including later campaigns against SB1070 and for the Equal Rights Amendment.

Arizona officials across parties and government, including Gov. Katie Hobbs, Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, Reps. Yassamin Ansari, Greg Stanton and Adelita Grijalva, Attorney General Kris Mayes, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and Councilmember Betty Guardado, praised her lasting influence on the state and nation. A candlelight vigil was held outside Phoenix City Hall in her honor.

An Arizona Attorney General's Office investigation found no wrongdoing by Maricopa County election workers after a viral social media post falsely suggested tampering with election equipment. The Oct. 9 post, from a group called "We the People USA Alliance" linked to election conspiracy figure Shelby Bush, showed county workers inside the secure vote tabulation center late at night and alleged misconduct.

County Recorder Justin Heap's staff contacted the FBI, which referred the matter to the state attorney general's office. Investigators concluded the employees were authorized to be present and were acting within their official duties. Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Kate Brophy McGee criticized Heap for escalating the matter to federal authorities rather than resolving it internally, citing safety concerns for election staff amid the attention. Heap defended his office's response, saying referral to investigators was appropriate, though he maintains he has unanswered questions. The episode underscores ongoing tensions around election administration credibility in Maricopa County, a perennial flashpoint in disputes over U.S. election integrity.

Maricopa County, Arizona's most populous county, has warned that some mail-in ballots have not yet reached voters ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The Recorder's Office said 1.9 million ballots were sent to USPS for distribution starting Oct. 7, with the first returns received Oct. 13. Officials cited recent USPS operational changes as a possible cause of delays and urged voters who have not received ballots to contact the office for a replacement or vote in person.

The warning follows an earlier controversy in which a vendor, Runbeck Election Services, mistakenly mailed about 3,126 ballots early, prompting criticism from President Trump, who called the county "very, very dishonest." County officials said the error affected only timing, not accuracy. Maricopa County, encompassing Phoenix, has faced election scrutiny since 2020 and remains pivotal to control of Congress and Arizona's closely watched governor's race between Andy Biggs and incumbent Katie Hobbs.

A review of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors records shows the board never voted on, or even discussed, creating a "Maricopa County Excellence Award" — despite state Rep. Matt Gress receiving and publicizing one bearing that name.

Gress was among eight people honored on Sept. 25 at a summit on teen violence organized by Supervisor Mark Stewart, a fellow Republican, in recognition of Gress's work on Preston's Law, legislation targeting group assaults like the 2013 killing of 16-year-old Preston Lord in Queen Creek. Gress then posted about the award on social media.

Stewart told Axios the certificate template came from county communications staff and was meant to represent only his district, not the full county, noting "District 1" appears under his signature. Honorees were chosen by a youth mental health advocate, not Stewart. The other four supervisors declined to comment. Gress said the award was never presented as countywide, though he did not say whether he would correct his social media posts. The episode draws attention to Gress ahead of a closely watched re-election race.

Remnants of Hurricane Rachel in the eastern Pacific could bring rain and cooler temperatures to parts of Arizona this weekend, offering relief from triple-digit heat in the south-central and southwestern regions. Separately, Scottsdale is moving to add oversight measures to its Flock Safety license plate reader program amid broader national concern over mass surveillance and privacy, with officials saying the changes will "strengthen accountability."

An Arizona congressional candidate reported being raped during an early-morning outing to repair campaign signs; the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is investigating. Elsewhere, rising wildfire risk in desert areas is causing insurers to drop coverage for Arizona property owners, pushing up business costs. Maricopa County health inspectors also cited nine metro Phoenix food establishments for priority violations, including improper chemical storage near food and malfunctioning coolers, after inspecting nearly 1,390 facilities in a single week.