Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana SB58: Revise vote count procedures
Status: Signed into law, April 18, 2025
What the bill says
An act revising vote count procedures; requiring an election administrator to conduct an investigation when the counting board cannot reconcile the total number of ballots prepared for counting with the record of ballots accepted; requiring an election administrator to report the investigation to the board of county canvassers; amending section 13-15-201, mca; and providing an immediate effective date.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT REVISING VOTE COUNT PROCEDURES; REQUIRING AN ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION WHEN THE COUNTING BOARD CANNOT RECONCILE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BALLOTS PREPARED FOR COUNTING WITH THE RECORD OF BALLOTS ACCEPTED; REQUIRING AN ELECTION ADMINISTRATOR TO REPORT THE INVESTIGATION TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY CANVASSERS; AMENDING SECTION 13-15-201, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE. Section 1. Section 13-15-201, MCA, is amended to read: "13-15-201. Preparation for count -- investigation of reconciliation discrepancies -- absentee ballot count procedures. (1) Subject to 13-10-311, to prepare for a count of ballots, the counting board or, if appointed, the absentee counting board shall take ballots out of the box to determine whether each ballot is single. (2) The board shall count all ballots to ensure that the total number of ballots corresponds with the total number of names in the pollbook record of ballots accepted. (3) If the board cannot reconcile the total number of ballots with the pollbook record of ballots accepted, the board shall submit to the election administrator a written report stating how many ballots were missing or in excess and any reason of which they are aware for the discrepancy. Each judge on the board shall sign the report. (a) If the discrepancy is not satisfactorily explained by the report, the election administrator shall conduct an …
Sponsors
- Cuffe, Mike (R, 1) · primary sponsor
- Cochran, Curtis (R, 90)
Latest actions
- : Chapter Number Assigned
- : (S) Signed by Governor
- : (S) Transmitted to Governor
- : (H) Signed by Speaker
- : (S) Signed by President
- : (S) Returned from Enrolling
- : (S) Sent to Enrolling
- : (H) 3rd Reading
- : (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- : (H) 2nd Reading
Votes
- Do Concur (March 26, 2025): 99 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Concur (March 25, 2025): 99 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Pass (February 6, 2025): 49 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Pass (February 5, 2025): 48 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Elections
Common questions
- What is SB58?
- SB58 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Revise vote count procedures.
- What does SB58 do?
- In its own words: An act revising vote count procedures; requiring an election administrator to conduct an investigation when the counting board cannot reconcile the total number of ballots prepared for counting with the record of ballots accepted; requiring an election administrator to report the investigation to the board of county canvassers; amending section 13-15-201, mca; and providing an immediate effective date.
- What is the status of SB58?
- Signed into law as of April 18, 2025. Latest action: Chapter Number Assigned (April 18, 2025).
- Who sponsored SB58?
- Cuffe, Mike (R, 1), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for SB58?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2038
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.