FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Governor Recklessly Vetoes Bill Aimed at Securing
Electronic Voting Systems and Protecting Democracy
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli is calling out Governor Hobbs for her continued blatant political games after she vetoed a bill that would have established oversight, security and transparency on electronic voting systems.
SB 1074 would have created commonsense standards for electronic equipment when used as the primary method for tabulating votes in any election. This bill would have required equipment to meet or exceed the standards set by the U.S. Department of Defense and would have put oversight in the hands of the auditor general and the counties. Upon request of the Legislature, or by a county board of supervisors, the auditor general would have been required to provide source codes, which act as a blueprint to determine and reveal how the machines will behave. For matters involving Superior Court action, in which the tabulation of votes is in question, the bill would've allowed the court to appoint a special master to review the source codes for the equipment.
"In her veto letter, Governor Hobbs stated the election equipment required by the bill does not exist. This is in fact a lie," said Majority Leader Borrelli. "The equipment exists, but the components are made in the People's Republic of China and other non-friendly countries. She's pushing the idea that the United States of America could not onshore the manufacturing of tabulation equipment, which is absolutely absurd. There is nothing the American workforce cannot do given the right opportunities."
"Furthermore, Governor Hobbs falsely stated that this bill purports to solve a problem that does not exist. I beg to differ," added Majority Leader Borrelli. "Any electronic device can be manipulated to have a certain outcome. You need source codes to determine this, but they're not being provided with the current system. You would think the former Secretary of State would know that in 2013, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security designated elections systems as critical infrastructure. This means these systems should be subjected to the same national security standards that the U.S. Department of Defense would apply to any critical infrastructure. Having a third-party vendor with total autonomy is not good for security, voter confidence, nor democracy. This bill would have taken the politics out of the voting process and created a neutral party that works for the Legislature. Fair and honest elections are a bi-partisan concern, albeit only when Democrats are the ones to benefit. Hobbs' obstructive and cavalier attitude has been part of the destruction of transparency and oversight within our elections."
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus
kquintero@azleg.gov