The bill amends existing laws regarding the conduct of elections and the handling of irregular ballots and write-in votes. It introduces a new section, 17-19-31, which requires local boards of canvassers to adjudicate each individual write-in vote cast for an office if the total number of write-in votes may affect the election outcome. The local board must report the total qualified write-in votes to the state board of elections, which will notify local boards when the total write-in votes cast in any contest may affect the election outcome for a particular office.

Additionally, the bill amends Section 17-22-7 to require the state board of elections to publish on its website a complete listing of all write-in votes cast for each particular office, regardless of candidate eligibility and regardless of whether they may affect the outcome. The state board must also report all write-in votes adjudicated by the local board in accordance with the new section and publish the overall total number of write-in votes cast for each office.

The act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
522: 17-19-31, 17-22-7