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Secretary of State warns of added burden as committee weighs standard clerk absentee-ballot worksheet
Summary
Representative Claudine Burnham proposed HB306 to require a standardized clerk's absentee-ballot worksheet to track absentee ballots throughout the process. Proponents said the worksheet increases transparency and audit granularity; Deputy Secretary Brendan O'Donnell and the Secretary of State's office warned it would impose unnecessary burden on local election officials given existing reconciliation procedures.
The Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee heard extended testimony and debate on House Bill 306, a bill that would create a standardized clerk's absentee'ballot worksheet tracking absentee ballots obtained, mailed, returned, spoiled, issued and remaining.
Representative Claudine Burnham, the bill's sponsor, told the committee the worksheet mirrors the moderator's same'day worksheet and would "ensure our election integrity is balanced and accountable with all paper ballots." Burnham said clerks already track many of these items locally and that the bill simply makes the accounting transparent and uniform across municipalities.
Proponents framed the change as an audit improvement:…
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