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Senate committee amends SB 58 to revise pre‑count reconciliation language
Summary
The committee amended and unanimously passed Senate Bill 58 to change wording in an election‑reconciliation statute, replacing a reference to the "poll book" with a broader "record of ballots accepted" and adding reporting and investigation steps when counts cannot be reconciled.
The Senate committee on executive action amended and passed Senate Bill 58 on a voice vote after members agreed to update statutory language describing the pre‑count reconciliation process.
The amendment replaces the term "poll book" with "the record of ballots accepted," to account for variations in county practices and to include ballots received by mail. Miss Harden, committee staff, said the change is intended to provide "a more up to date and all inclusive description of what resources should be used when conducting this initial reconciliation process provided in statute."
Senator Vance, who brought the amendment, said the change is a targeted step toward clarifying the code: "Words mean things so we're trying to get things to be uniform in that regard." Committee discussion clarified that the statute governs a pre‑tabulation reconciliation — prior to feeding any ballots through tabulators — and that the amendment also requires an election administrator to investigate unexplained discrepancies and report that investigation to the county board of canvassers.
The committee approved the amendment by voice vote and then passed SB 58 as amended. Chair Mansella announced the bill "passes unanimously." The committee recorded two proxies voting aye during the process.
The amendment was noted as a narrowly tailored fix arising from the Senate Select Committee on Elections; it does not rewrite the entire disputed statutory section but aims to make the initial reconciliation requirement clearer.
The bill will move forward as amended to the next stage of consideration.
