Committee advances bill requiring election equipment clocks be accurate; counties raise practicality questions

Senate Bill 15-68 would require election systems and software to have clocks set to and maintained at accurate time during election periods, direct county election officials to verify timekeeping and testing, and require the Secretary of State to include verification procedures in the elections procedures manual.

Sponsor testimony described cases where internal device clocks at logic-and-accuracy testing varied by minutes and said those discrepancies create chain-of-custody problems for audits. "If those clocks are not managed down to the second, you have no comms," one member said in questioning to illustrate the security implications.

Marissa Caldwell, who said she observed L&A testing in Maricopa County, told the committee she saw machines with times varying from two to seven minutes and said she pushed for a statutory requirement because counties had told her they would not set clocks unless required by law. The Association of Counties' Jen Morrison testified in respectful opposition, noting practical hurdles: e-pollbooks are not always networked or LNA-tested, batteries can drain and reset clocks, and parts of the state (for example, the Navajo Nation) observe different time zones — all complicating compliance and poll-worker procedures.

Members discussed technical fixes and language scope; Representative Collinan noted a provision expanding the Secretary of State's duties and obtained assurance the sponsor would accept a floor amendment removing the EPM piece if necessary. The committee voted 4–3 to give the bill a due-pass recommendation.

Next steps: The sponsor and county administrators will likely coordinate on implementation details and possible conforming amendments before floor action.