Senators urge JLBC to review $2.85 million election‑systems request ahead of 2026 elections
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Summary
Multiple senators on the floor pressed the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to schedule a review of a $2,850,000 Secretary of State funding request for election‑system repairs, warning that inaction could risk technical failures on election night and erode public confidence.
Senator Miranda urged the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) to schedule an immediate review of a $2,850,000 funding request from Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, saying the funds are needed to shore up election‑night reporting systems and other election technology.
"Let that sink in," Miranda said, warning that voters in her district (LD 11) and others would feel the impact if the JLBC does not act. She said the JLBC declined to review the items at its Jan. 29 meeting and asked JLBC leadership to place the matter on its agenda without delay.
Senator Epstein framed the problem as technical as well as financial, saying the ‘‘roots’’ of the Secretary of State’s office (core voter‑counting and registration systems) must be protected and the ‘‘branches’’ (candidate portals, campaign‑finance reporting, and election‑night systems) need repairs. "The money is there," Epstein said, calling for staff, technology, training and audits that he described as necessary to secure elections.
Senator Kimby added that the $2,850,000 request represents funds already appropriated from prior election cycles and urged the JLBC to review the request rather than rely on temporary, ad hoc fixes.
Senator Sedration reiterated those calls and warned that continued inaction by JLBC leadership ‘‘will look as though the Republican chairs of the JLBC are intentionally sabotaging the elections for 2026,’’ a charge that went unanswered on the floor during this session.
No formal JLBC action was recorded during the Senate floor session; senators urged the committee chairs to convene and place the Secretary of State's request on an upcoming JLBC agenda.
The immediate procedural next step is internal to JLBC; the Senate session concluded without taking a formal vote on the funding or scheduling the review.