The bill revises existing laws related to the counting of votes in Montana, emphasizing transparency and public accessibility during the vote tallying process. It mandates that all official vote counts be conducted in a public area, recorded by both audio and video, and held at the precinct where the votes were cast. Additionally, it requires that the total votes for each candidate and proposition be copied onto return forms immediately after counting, and that all election results be publicly declared, printed, and posted at the precinct voting location for a minimum of seven days.

The bill amends Section 13-15-101 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) by removing the previous requirement for vote counts to be open to public observation and replacing it with specific provisions for public counting and recording. It also introduces new requirements for the display and posting of election results, ensuring that the process is transparent and accessible to the public. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 13-15-101