Senate Bill No. 257 is an act concerning the certification and casting of ballots by presidential electors. The bill includes amendments to existing statutes to align with the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022. The bill specifies that the Secretary of the State is responsible for issuing a certificate of ascertainment of the appointment of presidential electors and for transmitting this certificate to the Archivist of the United States. Additionally, the bill changes the meeting time for presidential electors to the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December following their election, where they are required to cast their ballots for President and Vice President in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the United States.

The bill also addresses the process for electors or candidates to bring forth complaints regarding election rulings, vote counts, or absentee ballot violations. It outlines the procedure for filing such complaints, including expeditious judgment by a judge of the Supreme Court and the potential for a recount or a new election if necessary. The bill mandates that any errors found by the judges in the election rulings, vote counts, or violations of specified sections must be certified to the Secretary of the State before the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December. The judges' certificate is final on all questions relating to the rulings, the count's correctness, and claimed violations for the purposes of this section. The bill includes gender-neutral language by replacing "his" with "such elector's" and "he" or "she" where appropriate.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 9-315, 9-176, 9-323
GAE Joint Favorable: 9-315, 9-176, 9-323
File No. 177: 9-315, 9-176, 9-323
Public Act No. 24-3: 9-315, 9-176, 9-323