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Committee advances bill to clarify 2% hand-count audit rules and timing
Summary
The committee unanimously recommended HB 2046, clarifying how the 2% hand-count audit applies to precincts or vote centers and requiring selection and counting procedures to begin immediately after tabulation ends.
The House committee voted 7-0 to advance House Bill 2046, which clarifies how Arizona’s statutory 2% hand-count audit applies to jurisdictions that use precincts, vote centers or hybrid models and narrows the timing window for those audits. Sponsor testimony described the change as a technical clarification meant to end litigation and uncertainty over whether 2% refers to precincts or vote centers.
The bill requires that randomly selected precincts or voting centers be chosen only when the auditors are prepared to begin counting, and that the hand count commence within 24 hours after tabulation closes. Sponsor testimony said these changes are intended to prevent selection and storage practices that might skew samples or leave ballots sitting uncounted for days.
No witnesses opposed the measure in committee and clerks recorded a 7-0 roll call in favor. The bill moves to the House floor.
