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Judiciary committee splits on recounts, advances absentee and paper‑ballot changes
Summary
The committee rejected a recount‑petition bill that would have allowed small groups of voters to force countywide recounts, but approved bills limiting designated absentee bearers and allowing voters to request hand‑marked paper ballots to be tabulated.
The Senate Judiciary Committee split along lines of process and cost in a cluster of election bills Monday.
Senate Bill 430, which would have allowed a petition for a recount to be filed by as few as 10 voters (who would be required to pay estimated costs up front), failed in committee after county election officials and clerks warned it would create logistical burdens, allow widespread repetitive recount petitions and impose significant costs on counties. Laura Wiles, Faulkner County election coordinator, told the committee that provisions in SB 430 would let petitioners request recounts of every race in every precinct and could force…
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