requiring a second witness at the counting of write-in votes.

HB 474 requires that when counting write-in votes using ballot counting devices (which display write-in votes digitally or on paper), the moderator must conduct the count in the presence of a second sworn election official. This applies to towns or cities using devices approved by the state ballot law commission. The law directly affects local election officials handling write-in votes in jurisdictions using such technology, adding a verification step to the counting process. It does not change how write-in votes are cast, only the procedure for counting them.