diff --git a/sdk/program/src/vote/state/mod.rs b/sdk/program/src/vote/state/mod.rs
index dd69f60dbac64c..08b19ec3a42af6 100644
--- a/sdk/program/src/vote/state/mod.rs
+++ b/sdk/program/src/vote/state/mod.rs
@@ -323,6 +323,7 @@ const MAX_ITEMS: usize = 32;
 
 #[cfg_attr(feature = "frozen-abi", derive(AbiExample))]
 #[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, PartialEq, Eq, Clone)]
+#[cfg_attr(test, derive(Arbitrary))]
 pub struct CircBuf<I> {
     buf: [I; MAX_ITEMS],
     /// next pointer
@@ -368,23 +369,6 @@ impl<I> CircBuf<I> {
     }
 }
 
-#[cfg(test)]
-impl<'a, I: Default + Copy> Arbitrary<'a> for CircBuf<I>
-where
-    I: Arbitrary<'a>,
-{
-    fn arbitrary(u: &mut Unstructured<'a>) -> arbitrary::Result<Self> {
-        let mut circbuf = Self::default();
-
-        let len = u.arbitrary_len::<I>()?;
-        for _ in 0..len {
-            circbuf.append(I::arbitrary(u)?);
-        }
-
-        Ok(circbuf)
-    }
-}
-
 #[cfg_attr(
     feature = "frozen-abi",
     frozen_abi(digest = "EeenjJaSrm9hRM39gK6raRNtzG61hnk7GciUCJJRDUSQ"),
diff --git a/sdk/program/src/vote/state/vote_state_deserialize.rs b/sdk/program/src/vote/state/vote_state_deserialize.rs
index f4628332c2f2c3..2127574a54e8b3 100644
--- a/sdk/program/src/vote/state/vote_state_deserialize.rs
+++ b/sdk/program/src/vote/state/vote_state_deserialize.rs
@@ -69,35 +69,17 @@ fn read_prior_voters_into<T: AsRef<[u8]>>(
     cursor: &mut Cursor<T>,
     vote_state: &mut VoteState,
 ) -> Result<(), InstructionError> {
-    // record our position at the start of the struct
-    let prior_voters_position = cursor.position();
+    for i in 0..MAX_ITEMS {
+        let prior_voter = read_pubkey(cursor)?;
+        let from_epoch = read_u64(cursor)?;
+        let until_epoch = read_u64(cursor)?;
 
-    let is_empty_position = PRIOR_VOTERS_SERIALIZED_SIZE
-        .checked_add(prior_voters_position)
-        .and_then(|v| v.checked_sub(1))
-        .ok_or(InstructionError::InvalidAccountData)?;
-
-    // move to the end, to check if we need to parse the data
-    cursor.set_position(is_empty_position);
-
-    // if empty, we already read past the end of this struct and need to do no further work
-    // otherwise we go back to the start and proceed to decode the data
-    let is_empty = read_bool(cursor)?;
-    if !is_empty {
-        cursor.set_position(prior_voters_position);
-
-        for i in 0..MAX_ITEMS {
-            let prior_voter = read_pubkey(cursor)?;
-            let from_epoch = read_u64(cursor)?;
-            let until_epoch = read_u64(cursor)?;
-
-            vote_state.prior_voters.buf[i] = (prior_voter, from_epoch, until_epoch);
-        }
-
-        vote_state.prior_voters.idx = read_u64(cursor)? as usize;
-        vote_state.prior_voters.is_empty = read_bool(cursor)?;
+        vote_state.prior_voters.buf[i] = (prior_voter, from_epoch, until_epoch);
     }
 
+    vote_state.prior_voters.idx = read_u64(cursor)? as usize;
+    vote_state.prior_voters.is_empty = read_bool(cursor)?;
+
     Ok(())
 }