Arizona’s Republican state Senate majority leader, Sonny Borrelli, has overruled Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs and notified all county boards of supervisors not to use electronic voting systems.
Borrelli’s move will surely be contested in the courts.
The letter he sent says: “Back in 2017, the US Secretary of Homeland Security issued a statement clearly designating elections infrastructure as critical infrastructure, which means these electronic systems must have a safeguard in place to prevent any attacks that threaten national security.
“This session, the Senate passed legislation that would have fulfilled federal government requirements to protect critical elections infrastructure however, senate bill 1074 was vetoed by the governor.
“Therefore, with the passage of Senate concurrent resolution, 1037 by the legislator and its transmission to the Secretary of State, the legislature is exercising our plenary authority to see that no electronic voting systems in the state of Arizona are used as the primary method for conducting, counting, tabulating, or verifying federal elections unless those systems meet necessary standards of protection.
“The federal government has made it very clear that elections equipment is considered a target by those who want to threaten the safety and security of our country,” said Majority leader Borelli.
“We have long ignored his elephant in the room by allowing electronic voting systems made the parts produced in countries considered adversaries to the United States to be used as the primary method for conducting our elections.
“It is in our state’s and nation’s best interest that we comply with the implementation of security measures to protect our republic.”
BREAKING
AZ Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borelli issues letter to every county election office notifying them no electronic voting machine can be used in ‘24 election
Katie Hobbs vetoed law, but Constitution gives plenary authority to state legislature so they’re overriding her pic.twitter.com/FPwtEDaU5T
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) May 22, 2023
Big stuff. https://t.co/sUdjJJ8dUk
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) May 22, 2023
Today, Arizona Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli (R), invoking the independent state legislature theory, sent a letter to counties stating that electronic voting machines are not allowed unless they meet the impossible standards of an unenforceable Senate resolution.
— Democracy Docket (@DemocracyDocket) May 22, 2023
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) said: “Senate Concurrent Resolution 1037, which expresses a desire to restrict the use of certain electronic voting machines, is non-binding and does not have the force of law.
“Election equipment must be certified by the federal and state government by specific requirements outlined in federal and state law.
“That certification process is being followed in Arizona and all applicable election equipment being used in Arizona is certified.
“If those requirements or certification process were to be changed, it would require a regular bill to be passed by the legislature and signed by the governor—which is not the case for this non-binding resolution.”
