Brief Description: Modifying canvassing provisions.

Sponsors: By House Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs (originally sponsored by Representatives Appleton, Haigh and Hunt).

House Committee on State Government & Tribal Affairs
Senate Committee on Government Operations & Elections

Background:

County auditors are required to process absentee ballots and canvass the votes on a daily basis in counties with a population of 75,000 or more, and at least every third day in counties with a population of less than 75,000, excluding Sundays and holidays, as long as the auditor has more than 25 ballots that have yet to be canvassed. During the final four days before the certification of the election, the auditor has discretion in determining when to process the remaining ballots.

Representatives from each major political party must be allowed to observe the counting of ballots and may request manual counts.

Summary:

If a county auditor is in possession of more than 500 ballots, counties with a population of 75,000 or more count ballots on a daily basis and counties with a population of less than 75,000 count every third day. Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays are excluded for purposes of counting days.

In counties voting entirely by mail, a random check of the ballot counting equipment may be conducted upon mutual agreement of the political party observers or at the discretion of the county auditor. The random check procedures must be established by the county canvassing board prior to the processing of ballots. The random check process includes a comparison of a manual count to the machine count and may involve up to either three precincts or six batches. The random check is limited to one office or issue. The check must be completed not later than 48 hours after election day.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   97   1
Senate   49   0   (Senate amended)
House   93   0   (House concurred)

Effective: July 22, 2007
         July 1, 2013 (Section 2)