Existing law authorizes, under certain circumstances, a candidate defeated at certain elections to demand and receive a recount of the vote for the office for which he or she is a candidate if he or she deposits the estimated costs for the recount. (NRS 293.403) Section 1 of this bill instead: (1) authorizes a defeated candidate to demand a recount in certain elections if the difference between the highest number of votes cast for a candidate for the office and the number of votes cast for the defeated candidate who demands the recount is 5 percent or less; and (2) reorganizes the provisions of existing law that set forth how the estimated costs of the recount are determined. Section 1 additionally requires, with certain exceptions, a recount of the vote for an office to be conducted, at no cost to any candidate, if the difference between the highest number of votes cast for a candidate for the office and the next highest number of votes cast for a candidate for the office is 0.25 percent or less. Such a recount is not required to be conducted if the format of the ballot allowed a voter to select more than one candidate for the office, unless the difference between the number of votes cast in the election for the candidate with the lowest number of votes who won the election and the next highest number of votes cast for a candidate for the office is 0.25 percent or less.
Existing law authorizes a voter at an election to demand and receive a recount of the vote for a ballot question if the registered voter deposits the estimated costs of the recount. (NRS 293.403) Section 1: (1) eliminates the authority of a voter to demand and receive a recount of the vote for a ballot question; and (2) provides instead that a recount of the vote for a ballot question must be conducted if the difference between the results of the ballot question being approved or disapproved is 0.25 percent or less. Section 1 further provides that no voter is required to pay the costs of such a recount.
Sections 2-5 of this bill make conforming changes to account for the changes to the recount process made pursuant to section 1.