The bill establishes a new process for conducting election recounts, allowing for hand counting of votes as an option. It empowers the Secretary of State and county clerks to mandate recounts under certain conditions and enables candidates to request hand counts. The legislation revises the timing of primary elections, moving the date from the third to the first Monday in August, and adjusts the county and state canvass to facilitate the hand counting process. Additionally, it creates an election recount account to fund these recounts, ensuring that the allocated funds are continuously appropriated and do not revert.

Key amendments include a broader definition of "recount" to include both hand counting and electronic ballot processing, and it specifies that recounts must be conducted by hand if the vote difference is less than two percent for certain offices. The bill also modifies the timing for bond elections, requiring them to coincide with primary or general elections or specific Tuesdays in May, November, or August, replacing the previous requirement. It mandates political subdivisions to notify the county clerk at least 110 days before a bond election, detailing essential information about the bond question. Furthermore, the bill repeals certain sections of existing law and appropriates $200,000 from the general fund to the newly established election recount account, with the act set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
26LSO-0044 v0.3: 22-1-102, 22-2-104, 22-8-102, 22-8-108, 22-14-114, 22-16-103, 22-16-109, 22-16-110, 22-16-111, 22-16-113, 22-16-118, 22-21-103