Bill > HB1030

This bill concerns the conduct of limited audits of counted ballots during the election certification period. It introduces two primary methods for auditing election results: a limited hand-count audit and a risk-limiting audit. For the limited hand-count audit, county auditors can randomly select precincts or ballot batches to manually count and compare against the original ballot counting equipment results. Political party observers are permitted to watch this process. The risk-limiting audit is a statistical method designed to confirm election outcomes with a specified confidence level, using techniques like ballot comparison, ballot polling, and batch comparison audits. The bill amends existing election laws to provide more detailed procedures for these audits, including requirements for random selection, sample size determination, and reporting results. It gives county auditors and the secretary of state discretion in conducting these audits and requires the secretary of state to establish rules for implementing the audit methods. The overall goal is to enhance the accuracy and transparency of election result verification while maintaining the security and privacy of ballot information.

Government Affairs

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1030&Year=2025&Initiative=false