Senate Judiciary & Rules Committee votes to send elections proposal RS 33857 to print

State Senator Todd Lakey, sponsor of RS 33857, presented the elections bill to the Senate Judiciary & Rules Committee and asked members to send it to print. Lakey said he had worked on the measure throughout the session, that clerks were "relatively okay" with the draft, and that issues remain with the secretary of state on counting overvote ballots. He told the committee his intention was to print the RS and refer it to State Affairs, and that it was "not going anywhere this year."

A member moved to send RS 33857 to print; the motion was seconded and put to a voice vote. After asking for discussion and hearing none, the vice chair called the ayes and declared the motion carried, confirming that RS 33857 will be sent to print. The motion was recorded in the meeting minutes as moved by Senator Ruckde and seconded by Senator Wintrow; the committee conducted a voice vote and the committee chair announced the motion carried (individual tallies were not specified on the record).

Lakey described the bill as addressing the process for adjudicating ballots where a voter appears to have marked more than one choice in the same contest — so-called "overvote" ballots — and said the issue is important because very close contests can be decided by a small number of ballots. He concluded the short meeting by thanking members for their time.