SB 440: Revising election laws related to reporting election results - Montana

SB0440_X(5).pdf → SB0440_X(6).pdf · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to remove the requirement for the Secretary of State to establish rulemaking authority, simplifying the legislative intent. The reporting requirements were expanded to include new data points such as the total number of registered voters per precinct and a breakdown of ballots by type at the precinct level. Additionally, the submission deadline for election data was clarified to ensure it is sent before the board of county canvassers meets, and the process for resolving discrepancies was streamlined to give the Secretary of State direct authority to address errors without requiring legislative leadership to convene an audit committee first.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by removing the explicit grant of rulemaking authority to the Secretary of State, while the scope of data reporting was broadened to include more granular precinct-level statistics.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the provision granting the Secretary of State rulemaking authority to implement the bill.

Added a requirement to report the total number of registered voters in each precinct.

Added a requirement to break down ballot counts by type (poll, absentee, provisional, military-overseas) at the precinct level.

TIMELINE

Clarified that the county election administrator must submit data to the Secretary of State no later than when the board of county canvassers meets.

ENFORCEMENT

Changed the discrepancy resolution process so the Secretary of State can directly address errors with local officials instead of referring the matter to legislative leadership for an audit committee investigation.

SB0440_3(9).pdf → SB0440_X.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was finalized and enrolled, changing its status from a draft to an official law. The text was cleaned up to remove formatting artifacts and standardize capitalization, while the core policy requirements for election reporting remain identical.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it continues to apply to statewide canvassed elections in Montana.

TECHNICAL

Removed draft markers, inconsistent capitalization, and formatting errors from the text to finalize the bill for enactment.

Added standard certification signatures and dates required for an enrolled bill to become law.

Deleted placeholder text and redundant headers present in the draft version.

SB0440_2(14).pdf → SB0440_3.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill was renumbered from SB 440.2 to SB 440.3 and its title was updated to explicitly reference 'statewide canvassed election results' and Title 13, Chapter 15, Part 5. The core policy requirements remain largely the same, mandating that county election administrators prepare spreadsheets of election data and submit them to the Secretary of State before certification. However, the timeline for posting these spreadsheets was tightened, requiring them to be made public no later than when the Board of County Canvassers meets, rather than at an unspecified time before certification.

Scope change

The bill's scope was clarified to specifically apply to elections subject to a statewide canvass as defined in Part 5 of Chapter 15.

TIMELINE

The deadline for posting election result spreadsheets to the public website was changed to occur 'no later than when the Board of County Canvassers meets' instead of an undefined time prior to certification.

REQUIREMENT

The bill's title and introductory text were updated to explicitly mention 'statewide canvassed election results' and link the reporting requirements to Title 13, Chapter 15, Part 5.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was updated from SB 440.2 to SB 440.3 to reflect its progression through the legislative process.

SB0440_1(5).pdf → SB0440_2.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from SB 440.1 to SB 440.2 and its title was slightly expanded to include 'AND'. The most significant substantive change involves the reporting requirements for election results: the bill now requires counties to report the total number of electors who registered on election day, in addition to the number of registered voters. It also mandates that discrepancies found by the secretary of state be addressed directly with county election administrators and governing bodies to correct errors, rather than solely referring the matter to legislative leadership for investigation.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include a specific requirement for reporting same-day voter registration counts.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement to report the total number of electors who registered on election day.

ENFORCEMENT

Changed the procedure for handling election discrepancies to require direct communication with county officials for correction, rather than immediate referral to legislative leadership.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill number from SB 440.1 to SB 440.2 and adjusted the title text.

LC3240.pdf → SB0440_1.pdf · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill number was updated from LC 3240 to SB 440.1, and the header was changed to indicate this is an 'Authorized Print Version.' The substantive text regarding election reporting requirements remains unchanged.

TECHNICAL

The bill identifier was changed from LC 3240 to SB 440.1, and the document header was updated to reflect the new Senate Bill number and print version status.

Revising election laws related to reporting election results

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