Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee advances measure to allow counties to early‑scan ballots; election officials debate retraction and chain‑of‑custody safeguards
Summary
House Bill 13‑59, advanced by the committee, would allow counties with certified retraction-capable voting systems to scan in‑person early ballots and tabulate them only on election day. Clerks and vendors supported efficiency gains and voter‑last‑touch assurances; the Election Division, League of Women Voters and others warned statutory steps on retention, retraction IDs and recount procedures are missing.
Representative Westco presented House Bill 13‑59 and offered Amendment 1, which removes affidavit and same‑precinct storage requirements from earlier drafts and makes technical changes intended to align the bill with current local practices. The sponsor said the bill would let early in‑person ballots be scanned at vote centers while deferring tabulation until election day, reducing handling and making the voter the last person to touch the ballot.
Supporters included a large contingent of county clerks and the Clerks Association. Nicole Brown (Monroe County Clerk, Clerks Association legislative committee) called the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
