relative to the of hand-counting ballots at large polling places.

HB 1429 allows election moderators at polling places to pause ballot counting if it may extend past midnight (after 11:00 p.m.), requiring it to resume the next morning. This directly affects local election officials managing polling places, who must securely store ballots overnight with at least two election officials or one official plus a police officer present, complete chain-of-custody forms, and preserve all materials. The bill also permits up to five public observers during overnight storage, mandates time-stamped audio/video recording of the storage area, and requires live broadcasting if feasible. These provisions aim to address potential delays in vote counting while maintaining security and transparency.