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HB0217 • 2025

Random hand count audits of election results.

AN ACT relating to elections; requiring a hand count audit of ballots as specified; requiring rulemaking; and providing for an effective date.

Elections
Inactive

Wyoming marks this bill as inactive, which usually means it is no longer moving in the current session.

Sponsor
Representative Lucas
Last action
2025-03-03
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide additional details beyond what is already stated in the candidate explanation.

Random Hand Count Audits of Election Results

This act requires election officials to randomly select one precinct in each county after primary and general elections for a hand count audit, comparing it with the electronic voting system results.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires county clerks to conduct a hand count audit of ballots from one randomly selected precinct after every primary and general election.
  • Specifies that the secretary of state must choose which precinct in each county will be audited.
  • Recommends comparing the hand-counted results with those produced by electronic voting systems.
  • Requires the secretary of state to create rules for conducting these audits by September 1, 2025.

Who It Names or Affects

  • County clerks who must perform the audit in one precinct after each primary and general election.
  • The Secretary of State responsible for selecting the precincts and creating rules for the audits.

Terms To Know

hand count audit
A process where ballots are manually counted to verify results from electronic voting systems.
precinct
An area within a county that is used for election purposes, such as voting and counting votes.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if discrepancies are found during the audit.
  • It's unclear how many counties will be affected since it depends on whether they have primary elections or only general elections.
  • This bill is marked as inactive, meaning it did not pass in its current session.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-03 House

    H:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to HR 5-4

  2. 2025-02-07 House

    H No report prior to CoW Cutoff

  3. 2025-01-28 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H02 - Appropriations

  4. 2025-01-17 House

    H Received for Introduction

  5. 2025-01-16 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
25LSO-0673
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0673
Introduced
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0217

Random hand count audits of election results.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Lucas, Allemand, Bear, Brady, Brown, G, Guggenmos, Heiner, Smith, S and Webb and Senator(s) Pearson

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to elections; requiring a hand count audit of ballots as specified; requiring rulemaking; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 22
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6
‑
130 by creating a new subsection (c) is amended to read:

22
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6
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130.

Post
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election ballot audit.

(c)

In addition to the audit under subsections (a) and (b) of this section, following each primary and general election, each county clerk shall conduct an audit of the ballots in one (1) precinct as provided in this section. The secretary of state shall randomly select one (1) precinct in each county to be audited as provided in this subsection. The county clerk shall conduct a hand count audit of all ballots cast in the precinct selected by the secretary of state and shall compare the hand count result to the result tabulated by the electronic voting system. The audit under this subsection shall be completed not later than one (1) week after the date of the election. The results of the audit and the comparison shall immediately be reported to the secretary of state. The secretary of state shall adopt rules necessary to implement this subsection, including rules establishing the scope of the audit and the procedures for conducting the audit under this subsection.

Section 2
.

The secretary of state shall adopt rules regarding the hand count audit required under W.S. 22
‑
6
‑
130(c), as created by section 1 of this act, not later than September 1, 2025.

Section 3
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

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HB0217