Bills: HB30, HB35, HB72, HB89, HB30, HB35

Keywords: elections, post-election audit, election audit, risk-limiting audit, ballot audit, election integrity, voter confidence, Secretary of State, judge of probate, canvassing board, poll watchers, ballot containers, manual tally, recount, county election, statewide election, general election, absentee ballots, provisional ballots, election transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• Alabama Code Section 17-1-16-2 outlines how our state conducts recounts.
• The post-election audit bill is not a recount.
• This bill is not an audit; it is a partial recount. It's statistically insignificant.
• Again, there's no single race that's recounted; this is only a portion of it.

Bills: SB245, SB246, HB30, HB30

Keywords: SB245, public assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, food assistance, Alabama Medicaid Agency, Department of Human Resources, eligibility verification, self-attestation, data matching, fraud prevention, improper payments, program integrity, benefit eligibility, income verification, residency verification, asset verification, electronic benefit transfer, EBT, cross-checks

Transcript Highlights:

• Alabama Code Section 17-162 outlines how our state conducts recounts.
• The post-election audit bill is not a recount but a measure to ensure... ...not a recount but a measure
• If that's randomly selected, that'll take days to recount it manually.

Bills: HB30, HB263, HB357, HB359, SB60, SB102, HB30

Keywords: elections, post-election audit, election audit, risk-limiting audit, ballot audit, election integrity, voter confidence, Secretary of State, judge of probate, canvassing board, poll watchers, ballot containers, manual tally, recount, county election, statewide election, general election, absentee ballots, provisional ballots, election transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• . recounts. recounts.
• c> there recounts or automatic recounts, there recounts or automatic recounts, there were<00:18:41.360
• <00:25:44.080> Um, recount account. Um, recount account.
• , then this recount would be conducted by hand. are requesting a recount.
• a recount of a ballot proposition. a recount of a ballot proposition.

Bills: SF0028, SF0030, SF0031, SF0032

Keywords: voting, elections, electronic voting systems, transparency, public testing, voter registration, qualified elector, residency requirements, voting rights, mortgage modification, priority, electronic signatures, real property, financial covenants, 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• in that recount.
• And so if you uh when they do recounts.
• ,<00:01:33.759> there is a statutoily triggered recount, there is a statutoily triggered recount
• And recount in our biggest districts?
• a recount, um it would be a hand recount a recount, um it would be a hand recount at<00:03:01.840

Bills: HB0111, HB0112, HB0122

Keywords: capital construction, state funding, Wyoming, major maintenance, community colleges, task force, legislative services, budget appropriation, unexpended funds, sunset clause, healthcare, rural health, transformation program, funding, incentives, training, access, perpetuity fund, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that would be a recount committee of 30 people. recounts um in person.
• ><00:52:43.760> recount.
• Which town does who does the recount? Which town does the<00:52:56.720> recount?
• So that would be a recount um recount?
• recounts, you you could have a recount recounts, you you could have a recount board<00:53:39.920

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• recount.
• State Rep vote on a recount and she won State Rep vote on a recount and she won by<00:15:22.600> one
• by one vote on on a particular recount by one vote on on a particular recount so<00:15:26.720>
• individual uh that can conduct recounts individual uh that can conduct recounts uh<00:23:25.640>
• 660 um the current law says the recount 660 um the current law says the recount must<00:28:45.720

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ask for a hand recount on an election. ask for a hand recount on an election.
• We don't recount the county recount.
• time to complete any recounts. time to complete any recounts.
• We're recounting, auditing. reconciling. We're recounting, auditing.
• And so the difference between recount and audit is recount we are counting the ballots.

Bills: HB0022, HB0052, HB0076

Keywords: municipal officers, recall election, petition requirements, local governance, voter participation, elections, hand counting, recounts, vote auditing, Wyoming legislature, electoral process, annexation, landowner rights, municipal law, city planning, property, local government, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• by the moderator shall make up the board of recount for school ballot recounts.
• <00:04:59.080> the simple fix for Town ballot recounts the simple fix for Town ballot recounts
• up the board of recount for school ballot<00:05:06.800> recounts<00:05:07.240> the<00:
• <00:05:34.000> that confidence in the local recounts that confidence in the local recounts
• <00:45:10.920> and<00:45:11.920> so asked for a recount and so asked for a recount

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , having municipal staff conduct that recount, not having a standard for that recount, needing to train
• conduct that recount, not having a standard for that recount, needing to train officials to conduct
• for a recount for a recount um<00:45:02.200> we<00:45:02.400> we<00:45:02.520>
• over uh it is easy to request a recount over uh it is easy to request a recount in<00:53:40.319>
• related to those recounts.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• prior to the recounts.
• It just says after the completion of a recount, so the audits would be done after the recount.
• He said the audit is secondary to the recount, and the recount is why everybody was there.
• He said the audit is secondary to the recount, and the recount is why everybody was there.
• He said the audit is secondary to the recount, and the recount is why everybody was there.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Election Law Committee held an orientation and then opened a public hearing on House Bill 67-FN-A, which would make permanent the use of accessible voting machines in local elections and provide funding for additional systems. The chair outlined committee procedures, noting a heavy workload of roughly 70 to 80 bills, mostly Tuesday meetings, likely time limits on testimony, and a default of executive session unless a bill is specifically noticed. Members and staff were introduced, and the Secretary of State’s office described its election-related responsibilities, including voter registration, cybersecurity, ballot-counting equipment, and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) program. Secretary of State David Scanlan and Deputy Secretary Aon Hennessy explained the current pilot program created by last year’s law, which requires accessible voting systems for local elections and allows the state to share machines with municipalities during the first half of 2025. They said the office has made hardware available, but towns have raised concerns about the speed of implementation and the cost of programming each election, especially for towns with multiple ballot questions. Scanlan said the state is also vetting longer-term options, including devices that could remain in polling places year-round, and suggested the committee consider delaying the bill’s effective date to January 1, 2026 to better align with implementation needs. Hennessy said the current state devices are older and complicated to reset for each election, and estimated programming costs could be about $600 for a small single-election ballot and much higher for towns with multiple elections. Supporters of the bill emphasized the importance of accessible voting for people with disabilities. Representative Robert Wy said the measure builds on 2024 law and would move the pilot into a permanent agreement, citing ADA concerns and prior testimony about discriminatory voting experiences. Fred Forier, a legally blind voter from Exeter, testified that accessible voting systems allow him to vote privately and independently and urged support for the bill. Committee members asked about the gap if the pilot ends before a permanent system is in place and about the cost range for programming. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the committee moved on after public testimony began.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill provides additional routes for voters to request and conduct recounts.
• The bill provides additional routes for voters to request and conduct recounts.
• reducing the length of recounts and the overall cost to requesters.
• of a recount, all relevant materials they wish to review during the recount, reducing delays and unnecessary
• extensions of recount processes.

Summary: The Assembly Elections Committee met on April 30, 2025, beginning as a subcommittee until a quorum was established. The committee first approved six bills on consent, including AB 950, AB 953, AB 1214, and three committee bills. It then heard several measures dealing with election administration, ballot transparency, and campaign finance, with most authors accepting committee amendments and several bills being held on call for absent members. AB 930 by Assembly Member Ward would extend the deadline for counting timely postmarked vote-by-mail ballots from three to seven days after Election Day and update recount procedures, including online posting of recount results and clearer rules for recount requests. The bill was supported by county election officials and passed out of committee with a due-pass recommendation, though it was initially held on call. AB 459 by Assembly Member DeMaio proposed allowing electronic signatures for initiatives, referenda, and recalls; the Secretary of State and labor groups opposed it over security, implementation, and cost concerns, and the committee ultimately rejected the bill after reconsideration. AB 699 by Assembly Member Stephanie would change how local tiered tax and bond measures are described on ballots by allowing more detail to be placed in the voter guide; housing, school, and local government groups supported it, while taxpayer and realtor groups opposed it as reducing ballot transparency. AB 1188, presented on behalf of Assembly Member Ortega, would list the top three funders supporting and opposing statewide initiatives and referenda directly on the ballot; transparency advocates and labor supported it, while county election officials and business groups raised concerns about ballot length and processing costs. Both AB 699 and AB 1188 passed out of committee with amendments and were held on call. The committee also heard AB 827 by Assembly Member Berman, which would standardize and extend the deadline for curing vote-by-mail signature problems, add a link to cure forms in ballot-tracking notifications, and make other changes to improve ballot curing. It drew no opposition in the hearing and passed with a due-pass recommendation. AB 351 by Assembly Member McKenna would raise the Levine Act contribution threshold for local officials to $1,500 and add CPI adjustments; supporters said it would reduce administrative burdens and reflect modern campaign finance realities, while good-government groups and the League of Women Voters opposed it as weakening anti-corruption protections. The committee initially failed AB 351, then granted reconsideration, but the transcript ends before a final disposition is clearly completed. Finally, AB 1079 by Assembly Member Farías would eliminate the automatic appellate stay in California Voting Rights Act and Fair Maps Act cases; it was supported as a way to prevent delayed remedies in voting rights cases, opposed by the City of Santa Monica over impacts on ongoing litigation, and passed with amendments. After taking up the held items, the committee recorded final votes on the bills, including passage of AB 930, AB 699, AB 1188, AB 827, and AB 1079, and rejection of AB 459.

Transcript Highlights:

• prior to the recounts.
• after the recounts are completed.
• be done after the recount.
• He said the audit was secondary to the recount, and the recount was why everybody was there.
• the recount is secondary to the recount the recount is why<02:33:32.920> everybody<02:33:33.399

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're still not available on Zoom. recounts under this bill uh first up on recounts under this bill
• We use that to determine recounts.
• The net result of the bill will be more recounts and an ability to count more in the recount, so that
• Thank you. recounts more likely by making it the recounts more likely by making it the lower<01:23:39.440
• to explain include more in the recount to explain include more in the recount so<01:24:23.199>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard several election-related bills first. SB 51, a comprehensive public financing bill for candidates, drew strong support in testimony but also concerns from the Campaign Spending Commission that the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund has only about $2.2 million, far short of what would be needed, and that the program could not realistically start in 2026 because of staffing and system changes; the commission asked for a start date no earlier than 2028. SB 118, which would create a full-time investigator position at the Campaign Spending Commission, was supported by the commission, which said it has lacked staff growth since 1995 and that an investigator is needed to handle investigations instead of having the commission’s attorney do that work. SB 255, a housekeeping bill on excess cash campaign contributions, was supported by the commission and several county officials and would require excess cash contributions over the limit to be returned within 30 days or turned over to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund. SB 345, which would expand the current partial public financing program, was supported by the commission but drew questions because it would still allow private fundraising; the commission said that under its assumptions the bill would provide more total public funds than SB 51, with a maximum of a little over $20 million versus a little over $15 million for SB 51. Testimony counts were reported as 125 support/48 oppose for SB 51, 26 support/0 oppose for SB 118, 30 support/49 oppose for SB 255, and 30 support/49 oppose for SB 345. The committee then discussed SB 176 on recount thresholds. The Office of Elections said it would stand on written testimony, and the East Hawaii Republican Party was listed but not present. The Office of Elections explained in response to questions that the bill’s recount trigger would be based on the final election-day count, not the early 6 a.m. tabulation, because the initial count is not complete until later in the day and cured ballots are counted later; the office said it does not want to begin recounts before all election-day ballots are counted. The reported testimony count was 4 support, 50 oppose, and 2 comments. Finally, the committee heard SB 260, the Judiciary’s biennial budget bill. Judiciary staff requested about $6.17 million in FY 2026 and $6.25 million in FY 2027 for operations, 17 permanent positions and one temporary position, plus $11.9 million for capital improvements. The Judiciary said the request would support specialty courts such as Women’s Court, Truancy Court, and DWI Court, a new Wahiawa District Court unit, an additional district court judge in Kona, cybersecurity, the Criminal Justice Research Institute, and facility projects including South Kohala design work and a Kauai chiller replacement. Civil legal services providers, including Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, the Legal Clinic, Kuikahi Mediation Center, the Domestic Violence Action Center, the Hawaii State Bar Association, and the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, all supported the bill but asked for an additional $1 million for the civil legal services line item, saying demand is high and the funding is spread across more providers than before. The Judiciary clarified that some of its requested positions would support Wahiawa and Women’s Court, and that the civil legal services funding goes to organizations serving low-income residents on issues such as immigration, domestic violence, evictions, and foreclosures. The committee also briefly took up SB 279 on fentanyl possession thresholds, where the prosecuting attorney’s office supported the bill and said fentanyl is already driving overdose deaths and that the proposed thresholds target distribution-level quantities rather than personal use.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:02:40.000> because to shift it to after the recount because to shift it to after the recount
• Questions from the recount process.
• ballots were already in the recount ballots were already in the recount area.<01:04:10.319> the
• recount recount on<01:04:27.680> the on the on the um<01:04:31.240> um<01:04:32.240>
• could be another recount.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So obviously there was a recount. like one vote or something like that.
• And I dropped one vote in the recount, and so I missed out on that term.
• Thank you for that. recount and he said, "We'll get you a recount and he said, "We'll get you a vote
• the count on the rec the first recount the count on the rec the first recount was<00:15:31.839><
• <00:15:39.360> and another six hours of of a recount and another six hours of of a recount

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Recount rules are outdated, inconsistent, and can vary widely between counties, causing confusion and
• The bill provides additional routes for voters to request and conduct recounts.
• reducing the length of recounts and the overall cost to requesters.
• of a recount all relevant material.
• They wish to review during the recount, reducing delays, and unnecessary extensions of recount processes

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• as the recount process. as the recount process.
• state do a recount in your work? state do a recount in your work?
• >> I've never had to do a recount. >> I've never had to do a recount.
• choose that one to recount. choose that one to recount.
• So no audit or recount can take place. So no audit or recount can take place.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's impossible to make up the nine days if, in fact, races go to recount.
• And so they probably needed to be recounted. Mr.
• And so they probably needed to be recounted.
• Because more races were close, they probably needed to be recounted.
• We never objected to having to recount more races.

Bills: HB2009, HB2022, HCM2001, HCM2002, HCM2004, HCR2001, HM2001, HM2004

Keywords: campaign contributions, foreign contributions, constitutional amendments, public disclosure, Arizona Revised Statutes, elections, voter registration, provisional ballots, primary election, voter participation, Muslim Brotherhood, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, national security, Islamist extremism, Congress, Arizona, domestic security, CAIR, terrorist organization

Summary: The committee met to hear several measures, beginning with HCM 2001 and HCM 2002, both memorials urging Congress to review and potentially designate the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR as foreign terrorist organizations. Supporters argued the groups have documented ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood’s stated goal of undermining Western civilization, citing the Holy Land Foundation case, FBI concerns, and testimony from national-security advocates. Opponents, including CAIR representatives, Muslim community members, and civil-rights advocates, said the memorials relied on guilt by association, would stigmatize Muslims, and lacked a factual or legal basis; they emphasized CAIR’s civil-rights work and warned of First Amendment concerns and community harm. After extensive debate and questions about the relationship between national and Arizona CAIR entities, the committee approved HCM 2001 and HCM 2002 on 4-3 votes, with members on both sides explaining their votes at length. Supporters framed the measures as simple requests to Congress based on existing federal findings, while opponents called them political theater and discriminatory. The committee then recessed briefly. When the committee returned, it heard HB 2009, which would prohibit committees primarily organized to influence constitutional amendments from accepting foreign national contributions and require donor verification and disclosure of out-of-state funding. The sponsor said the bill is meant to help voters understand outside influence on Arizona constitutional initiatives and suggested it could be broadened to all ballot measures. The bill passed 4-3. The committee then took up HCR 2001, a proposed constitutional amendment on elections that would limit voting to U.S. citizens, ban foreign contributions to candidate and ballot measure campaigns, require government-issued ID, and adjust early voting and mail-ballot rules. A late amendment clarified that the citizenship requirement applies to primary, general, and municipal elections, set early voting to end the Friday before an election, and refined mail-ballot rules while preserving federal overseas military voting requirements. The sponsor argued the measure would make Arizona elections more secure and efficient, while critics said it would create barriers and longer lines. The transcript cuts off during sponsor questioning on the amendment and ballot-access provisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• really was before we had a recount really was before we had a recount process.<00:47:46.880>
• Um, sorry, generally there is a recount Um, sorry, generally there is a recount that's<00:47:58.800
• And so because of that, recount process.
• judge is prescribing people to recount judge is prescribing people to recount the<00:48:30.640><
• is happening through the full recount is happening through the full recount process<00:48:35.119

Bills: HF2354, HF1672, HF2389, HF2870, HF2743, HF1918, HF2551, HF1671

Keywords: medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, cannabis, cannabinoids, hemp, marijuana registry, patient registry, visiting patient, Tribal cannabis, Tribal medical cannabis program, Tribal sovereignty, Office of Cannabis Management, designated caregiver, home cultivation, adult-use cannabis