HB145 Summary

• Write-in votes are permitted only in non-municipal general elections and require voters to both write a name on the ballot and mark a designated space to be valid.

• All write-in ballots must be returned to a central county location designated by the judge of probate for determination of whether they can affect election outcomes.

• For single-county elections, the judge of probate determines whether write-in votes can affect the outcome; for multi-county elections, the Secretary of State makes this determination.

• Any qualified voter may request within two business days of an election that write-in votes for any office be counted, provided the voter pays the actual costs of counting.

• The act became effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.