The bill sHB6871, with House Amendment "A," proposes amendments to the election recanvass procedures. It mandates that each voting district use a dedicated voting tabulator for counting votes, which does not apply to central counting locations or recanvassing. The bill requires the Secretary of the State to create an instructional training video on recanvass procedures, which recanvass officials must watch before conducting a recanvass. Additionally, it allows party representatives to observe each ballot during a recanvass and gives moderators the authority to remove disruptive individuals. The bill specifies that the provisions regarding voting tabulators will be effective from July 1, 2025, and the training video from July 1, 2024, and notes a one-time cost of $100,000 for the video's development and potential costs for additional tabulators for municipalities.

The bill also clarifies the purpose of a recanvass, which is to verify the accuracy of the original canvass and to replace the original return with the recanvass return if discrepancies are found. It references specific sections of the Connecticut General Statutes and Connecticut Agencies Regulations related to the recanvassing process. The bill has been favorably reviewed by the Government Administration and Elections Committee and the Appropriations Committee. The bill includes insertions such as the requirement for party representatives to view ballots and the authority for moderators to remove disruptive individuals, as well as deletions like the removal of registrars' discretion in determining the number of tabulators for special elections.

Statutes affected:
File No. 792: 9-311