This bill makes several amendments to current law related to irregular ballots, the tabulation and certification of election returns, and the nomination of party and independent candidates.

First, the bill defines irregular ballots as those voted for an office in which no eligible candidate appears on the ballot or for any person whose name does not appear on the ballot as a nominated candidate. It allows voters to vote an irregular ticket made up of names of persons in nomination by different parties or names of persons not in nomination. However, no irregular ballot shall be voted for any person whose name appears on the ballot as a nominated candidate, unless certain conditions are met. The bill also requires that scanned images of the computer ballot containing the irregular ballot be stored digitally on physical electronic media in the optical-scan precinct-count unit.

Second, the bill requires the State Board to report all write-in votes received by persons qualifying as write-in candidates.

Finally, the bill establishes requirements for voters seeking to be write-in candidates, including filing a declaration of intent of write-in candidacy and providing certain information.

Statutes affected:
841: 17-19-31, 17-22-7