diff --git a/docs/spec/blockchain/encoding.md b/docs/spec/blockchain/encoding.md
index aa184210..94b167f8 100644
--- a/docs/spec/blockchain/encoding.md
+++ b/docs/spec/blockchain/encoding.md
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ We call this encoding the CanonicalSignBytes. For instance, CanonicalSignBytes f
 like:
 
 ```json
-{"chain_id":"my-chain-id","vote":{"block_id":{"hash":DEADBEEF,"parts":{"hash":BEEFDEAD,"total":3}},"height":3,"round":2,"timestamp":1234567890, "type":2}
+{"chain_id":"my-chain-id","vote":{"block_id":{"hash":DEADBEEF,"parts":{"hash":BEEFDEAD,"total":3}},"height":3,"round":2, "type":2}
 ```
 
 Note how the fields within each level are sorted.
diff --git a/privval/priv_validator.go b/privval/priv_validator.go
index 2bb5ef32..4c33fdb1 100644
--- a/privval/priv_validator.go
+++ b/privval/priv_validator.go
@@ -207,14 +207,10 @@ func (pv *FilePV) signVote(chainID string, vote *types.Vote) error {
 	// We might crash before writing to the wal,
 	// causing us to try to re-sign for the same HRS.
 	// If signbytes are the same, use the last signature.
-	// If they only differ by timestamp, use last timestamp and signature
 	// Otherwise, return error
 	if sameHRS {
 		if bytes.Equal(signBytes, pv.LastSignBytes) {
 			vote.Signature = pv.LastSignature
-		} else if timestamp, ok := checkVotesOnlyDifferByTimestamp(pv.LastSignBytes, signBytes); ok {
-			vote.Timestamp = timestamp
-			vote.Signature = pv.LastSignature
 		} else {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("Conflicting data")
 		}
@@ -292,32 +288,6 @@ func (pv *FilePV) String() string {
 
 //-------------------------------------
 
-// returns the timestamp from the lastSignBytes.
-// returns true if the only difference in the votes is their timestamp.
-func checkVotesOnlyDifferByTimestamp(lastSignBytes, newSignBytes []byte) (time.Time, bool) {
-	var lastVote, newVote types.CanonicalJSONVote
-	if err := cdc.UnmarshalJSON(lastSignBytes, &lastVote); err != nil {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("LastSignBytes cannot be unmarshalled into vote: %v", err))
-	}
-	if err := cdc.UnmarshalJSON(newSignBytes, &newVote); err != nil {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("signBytes cannot be unmarshalled into vote: %v", err))
-	}
-
-	lastTime, err := time.Parse(types.TimeFormat, lastVote.Timestamp)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-
-	// set the times to the same value and check equality
-	now := types.CanonicalTime(time.Now())
-	lastVote.Timestamp = now
-	newVote.Timestamp = now
-	lastVoteBytes, _ := cdc.MarshalJSON(lastVote)
-	newVoteBytes, _ := cdc.MarshalJSON(newVote)
-
-	return lastTime, bytes.Equal(newVoteBytes, lastVoteBytes)
-}
-
 // returns the timestamp from the lastSignBytes.
 // returns true if the only difference in the proposals is their timestamp
 func checkProposalsOnlyDifferByTimestamp(lastSignBytes, newSignBytes []byte) (time.Time, bool) {
diff --git a/privval/priv_validator_test.go b/privval/priv_validator_test.go
index c7212d59..189829bc 100644
--- a/privval/priv_validator_test.go
+++ b/privval/priv_validator_test.go
@@ -207,7 +207,6 @@ func TestDifferByTimestamp(t *testing.T) {
 
 		signBytes := vote.SignBytes(chainID)
 		sig := vote.Signature
-		timeStamp := clipToMS(vote.Timestamp)
 
 		// manipulate the timestamp. should get changed back
 		vote.Timestamp = vote.Timestamp.Add(time.Millisecond)
@@ -216,7 +215,6 @@ func TestDifferByTimestamp(t *testing.T) {
 		err = privVal.SignVote("mychainid", vote)
 		assert.NoError(t, err, "expected no error on signing same vote")
 
-		assert.Equal(t, timeStamp, vote.Timestamp)
 		assert.Equal(t, signBytes, vote.SignBytes(chainID))
 		assert.Equal(t, sig, vote.Signature)
 	}
diff --git a/types/canonical_json.go b/types/canonical_json.go
index 95ade9c6..1d2671fb 100644
--- a/types/canonical_json.go
+++ b/types/canonical_json.go
@@ -34,13 +34,12 @@ type CanonicalJSONProposal struct {
 }
 
 type CanonicalJSONVote struct {
-	ChainID   string               `json:"@chain_id"`
-	Type      string               `json:"@type"`
-	BlockID   CanonicalJSONBlockID `json:"block_id"`
-	Height    int64                `json:"height"`
-	Round     int                  `json:"round"`
-	Timestamp string               `json:"timestamp"`
-	VoteType  byte                 `json:"type"`
+	ChainID  string               `json:"@chain_id"`
+	Type     string               `json:"@type"`
+	BlockID  CanonicalJSONBlockID `json:"block_id"`
+	Height   int64                `json:"height"`
+	Round    int                  `json:"round"`
+	VoteType byte                 `json:"type"`
 }
 
 type CanonicalJSONHeartbeat struct {
@@ -85,13 +84,12 @@ func CanonicalProposal(chainID string, proposal *Proposal) CanonicalJSONProposal
 
 func CanonicalVote(chainID string, vote *Vote) CanonicalJSONVote {
 	return CanonicalJSONVote{
-		ChainID:   chainID,
-		Type:      "vote",
-		BlockID:   CanonicalBlockID(vote.BlockID),
-		Height:    vote.Height,
-		Round:     vote.Round,
-		Timestamp: CanonicalTime(vote.Timestamp),
-		VoteType:  vote.Type,
+		ChainID:  chainID,
+		Type:     "vote",
+		BlockID:  CanonicalBlockID(vote.BlockID),
+		Height:   vote.Height,
+		Round:    vote.Round,
+		VoteType: vote.Type,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/types/vote_test.go b/types/vote_test.go
index 263d2c35..36225953 100644
--- a/types/vote_test.go
+++ b/types/vote_test.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func TestVoteSignable(t *testing.T) {
 	signBytes := vote.SignBytes("test_chain_id")
 	signStr := string(signBytes)
 
-	expected := `{"@chain_id":"test_chain_id","@type":"vote","block_id":{"hash":"68617368","parts":{"hash":"70617274735F68617368","total":1000000}},"height":12345,"round":2,"timestamp":"2017-12-25T03:00:01.234Z","type":2}`
+	expected := `{"@chain_id":"test_chain_id","@type":"vote","block_id":{"hash":"68617368","parts":{"hash":"70617274735F68617368","total":1000000}},"height":12345,"round":2,"type":2}`
 	if signStr != expected {
 		// NOTE: when this fails, you probably want to fix up consensus/replay_test too
 		t.Errorf("Got unexpected sign string for Vote. Expected:\n%v\nGot:\n%v", expected, signStr)