The bill revises vote count procedures by mandating that an election administrator conduct an investigation when the counting board is unable to reconcile the total number of ballots with the record of ballots accepted. Specifically, it amends Section 13-15-201 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to replace references to the "pollbook" with the "record of ballots accepted." If discrepancies arise, the counting board must submit a written report to the election administrator detailing the number of missing or excess ballots and any known reasons for the discrepancies.

Additionally, if the discrepancies are not satisfactorily explained, the election administrator is required to investigate further, which may involve recounting ballots and reviewing the accepted ballot records. The findings of this investigation must then be reported to the board of county canvassers, ensuring transparency and accountability in the election process. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 13-15-201
SB0058_1(1): 13-15-201
SB0058_1(2): 13-15-201
SB0058_1(3): 13-15-201
SB0058_1(4): 13-15-201
SB0058_1(5): 13-15-201
SB0058_1(6): 13-15-201
SB0058_1(7): 13-15-201
SB0058_1: 13-15-201
SB0058_2(1): 13-15-201
SB0058_2(2): 13-15-201
SB0058_2(3): 13-15-201
SB0058_2(4): 13-15-201
SB0058_2(5): 13-15-201
SB0058_2(6): 13-15-201
SB0058_2(7): 13-15-201
SB0058_2(8): 13-15-201
SB0058_2: 13-15-201
SB0058_3: 13-15-201
SB0058_X(1): 13-15-201
SB0058_X(10): 13-15-201
SB0058_X(11): 13-15-201
SB0058_X(12): 13-15-201
SB0058_X(2): 13-15-201
SB0058_X(3): 13-15-201
SB0058_X(4): 13-15-201
SB0058_X(5): 13-15-201
SB0058_X(6): 13-15-201
SB0058_X(7): 13-15-201
SB0058_X(8): 13-15-201
SB0058_X(9): 13-15-201
SB0058_X: 13-15-201