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Committee hears AB 287 on automatic recounts and a new voter access grant fund; counties push cost clarifications
Summary
AB 287 would standardize recount timelines, require state reimbursement for extraordinary recount costs, and create a voter access grant program; counties urged timeline changes and clearer cost‑sharing to reduce overtime and vendor expenses.
AB 287, presented by Assemblymember Gonzales, would revise election recount procedures and create a voter access grant program administered by the Secretary of State.
Key elements and fiscal questions - Recounts: The bill provides for automatic recounts when margins fall within narrow thresholds and preserves candidate‑requested recounts. County clerks described the current, variable timelines as costly and resource intensive because recounts often require reopening vote centers and processing mail ballots for the entire election, and may require overtime and temporary staff. Clark County estimated recount costs historically at roughly $36,000–$87,000 depending on overtime and vendor assistance, with a working average of about $69,000 in a recount scenario; Washoe County estimated approximately $30,000 for a general‑election recount under the proposed amendments. - Timeline amendment: Counties proposed and the committee discussed an amendment (dated April 28) to standardize deadlines: request recounts within three working days after the relevant canvas, begin recounts within five days, and complete them within five working days after commencement. The amendment also moves the Supreme Court canvas to the Tuesday after the county canvas to streamline schedules and avoid holiday conflicts. Counties said running recounts all at once reduces overtime costs and vendor expenses. - Reimbursement: The Secretary of State’s office said the bill would authorize reimbursement of county recount costs from the statutory contingency fund for overtime or extraordinary costs, consistent with current practice for certain recounts; routine staff hours would not be reimbursed. Counties asked for an estimate of contingency fund needs; the Secretary’s office said it would provide a figure after consulting counties. - Voter Access Fund: The bill also creates a voter access grant program to accept gifts, grants, and donations for voter outreach and county support. Some speakers urged transparency and guardrails. The Secretary of State said office staff are working with the sponsor on amendments to add transparency measures and proportional distribution rules and noted existing, non‑general‑fund sources (gifts/grants) could be used.
Why it matters: AB 287 alters who pays for recounts and how recounts are scheduled, and creates a discretionary fund in the Secretary of State’s office to support election administration. Counties sought clearer cost apportionment so candidate‑requested recounts do not shift the bulk of shared costs to the state.
Discussion vs. decision: The committee heard testimony from the Secretary of State’s office (Gabriel De Cara and deputy Mark Volasian), county election officials (Ashley Kennedy for Clark County; Cadence Matejevich for Washoe County), and supporters and opponents by phone. No committee vote was recorded during this hearing; the sponsor and the Secretary of State said they expected amendments addressing transparency and timeline clarifications.
Ending: The hearing closed after the sponsor and Secretary of State said they would work on language addressing county concerns and transparency for the voter access grant program.
