Mohave County appoints Karina Sumner interim elections director; Tempert to transition to consultant role

Mohave County supervisors approved a transition plan for the elections office that names Deputy Director Karina Sumner as interim elections director on March 2, 2026 and elections director effective July 5, 2026, following the planned retirement of the current director.

Manager Alters told the board the move is intended to preserve continuity ahead of the 2026 primary and general elections. He said county recruitment efforts indicate a limited pool of seasoned elections directors and praised Sumner’s experience in the office. The manager proposed a temporary pay adjustment for Sumner while she serves as interim director and noted the county would not immediately refill the deputy position, offsetting overlapping payroll costs.

Supervisor Martin moved to appoint Sumner; the board approved the motion by voice vote. Board members thanked outgoing Elections Director Alan Tempert for his long service and discussed using him in an as‑needed consultant role for calibration, tabulation and other technical election tasks during the transition.

Elections staff will finalize job descriptions for additional forensic and tabulation support and the county will schedule recruitment for any roles deemed necessary after the transition.