SB 494: Revise voting system auditing in election laws - Montana

SB0494_2(3).pdf → SB0494_2(4).pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends the election code to standardize how votes are counted and recorded. It clarifies that manual counts require judges to read ballots aloud while others record, mandates specific data points in official results, and establishes strict rules for handling questionable ballots and voting system errors.

Scope change

The scope of the amendment applies to all manual vote counts, recounts, and electronic voting system audits conducted by election boards and administrators.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the procedure for manual counts to require one judge to read the ballot while the other two record votes on official tally sheets.

Reorganized the list of required data in official results records to ensure consistency in reporting individual votes, offices, and ballot issue totals.

Clarified the handling of questionable votes and system errors, specifying that entire ballots with issues must be set aside for review by the counting board.

Refined the criteria for determining valid votes from electronic systems, explicitly stating that unrecognized votes are invalid and outlining procedures for unmarked or overvoted ballots.

SB0494_1(6).pdf → SB0494_2.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from SB 494.1 to SB 494.2 and updated to reflect a 2025 legislative session. The core policy changes expand the testing requirements for election systems to include software patches, fixes, and downloads, not just hardware or new systems. Additionally, the retention period for audit logs and vote records was changed from a fixed 22 months to 'in perpetuity' for counties using vote-counting machines that can produce these logs, ensuring permanent public access to election data.

Scope change

The bill's scope was broadened to cover software updates (patches, fixes, downloads) in addition to hardware and new systems, and the applicability of permanent record retention was specifically targeted at counties using machines capable of generating audit logs.

REQUIREMENT

Expanded system testing requirements to include software patches, fixes, and downloads alongside hardware changes and new system acquisitions.

Changed the retention period for audit logs and vote records from 22 months to 'in perpetuity' for counties using vote-counting machines that can produce such logs.

TECHNICAL

Updated bill numbering from SB 494.1 to SB 0494.2 and adjusted the legislative session header to 2025.

LC2713.pdf → SB0494_1.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill number was officially changed from LC 2713 to SB 494.1, and the sponsor was identified as T. Manzella. Substantive changes include formatting adjustments to section headers and a new requirement that counting boards transfer valid votes to new ballots if a ballot is rejected due to its physical condition.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was updated from LC 2713 to SB 494.1, and the sponsor was added as T. Manzella.

Section headers were reformatted to remove redundant spacing and combine related subsection labels (e.g., (c) (d) became (c)(d)).

REQUIREMENT

A new provision was added requiring counting boards to transfer valid votes to a new ballot if the original ballot was rejected due to its physical condition.

Revise voting system auditing in election laws

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