Conference committee adopts election-administration package, excludes cannabis provision pending posting

The state and local government elections conference committee voted May 13 to adopt a package of agreed-upon provisions from the elections article for inclusion in the conference committee report, excluding one item (line 15) because an amendment related to that line had not been posted in time.

The package was moved by Vice chair Altendorf, who said, "I'd move to adopt the provisions in the document titled elections provisions." Chair Freyberg, who participated in the discussion, said the committees had "made good progress" and expected to continue work on campaign finance provisions after the conference committee completes its work. Nonpartisan staff members Gehring and Stengel walked members through a chart titled "proposed sections for adoption 05/13/2025," describing the lines the committee proposed to adopt and noting a small number of technical or effective-date changes.

Why it matters: adopting these agreed provisions advances the conference committee report and moves a broad set of election-administration changes closer to final enactment. Several provisions affect how local officials and election judges administer voting, the timing of public records and ballot handling, and procedures for combined polling places and special elections.

Key provisions summarized in committee materials and described on the record included: - Voter registration and additional proofs of residence for students (Senate section 6). - A requirement that the statewide public voter information list be provided within five business days, with an added effective date of Jan. 1, 2026 (Senate section 12). - Allowing electronic rosters to include voters from multiple precincts at combined polling places and requiring guidance and maps so voters receive the correct ballot (Senate section 22; House section 22). - A set of miscellaneous election-administration changes described in the committee chart (multiple Senate sections listed in the chart as agreed language). - Authority for federally recognized tribes with off-reservation polling sites to request additional temporary polling places on that land (Senate section 33). - Changes to absentee envelope handling: the House proposal to retain ballot envelopes for 30 days after the contest deadline was adjusted in committee materials to require retention for 48 hours after the contest deadline (House section 14, as modified in the chart). - Provisions on retention of uniform and overseas absentee ballots (Senate section 39), affidavits of candidacy including phonetic spellings of names (Senate section 44), and notification requirements when candidate filings change so ballot preparers are informed (selected lines of Senate section 48 and related sections). - Adjusting timelines and filing periods for special elections to fill legislative vacancies (selected House sections), timing of school district elections (Senate sections 82 and 85), and voting-system testing requirements (Senate section 86). - A prohibition on making election-judge passwords visible in public at polling places (House section 41). - A Senate repealer of the voting equipment grant account (identified in the chart as repeal of section 206.95).

The committee specifically set aside line 15 — a cannabis-related provision — because an amendment affecting that line "did not get posted in time," the chair said. Vice chair Altendorf asked for and received a verbal commitment that the language on line 15 is agreed-upon but will be taken up at the next meeting after providing public notice.

On the motion to adopt the charted provisions (the document titled "elections provisions — proposed sections for adoption 05/13/2025"), excluding line 15, the committee chair called for the question: "All those in favor, say aye." Members responded "Aye." The chair then declared, "The motion prevails," and the provisions were included in the conference committee report.

After the vote, the committee adjourned. The chair noted staff and members working on the elections conference could remain in the room to continue related work.

Details not specified on the record: the transcript and chart referenced many specific line numbers and section citations; the committee summary described those sections but did not include the full statutory text on the public record during this session. For several entries the chart notes that specific line numbers or subsections were excluded or modified; those precise edits are documented in the committee's chart rather than read verbatim into the record.