HB457 Summary

• County canvassing boards must conduct a post-election manual audit after each county and statewide general election by manually tallying ballots in at least one randomly selected race from at least 20 percent of polling locations.

• If the audit reveals a discrepancy greater than one-half of one percent, the canvassing board must determine if it can be reconciled and report any known cause to the Secretary of State.

• Audit must be completed within 30 days of election certification, with audit reports including descriptions of problems encountered, likely causes, and recommendations for corrective actions.

• Secretary of State must make audit results public on their official website and report all findings to the Governor and Legislature within 30 days of audit completion.

• Poll watchers may observe the audit process; all county expenses are reimbursed, and poll worker compensation matches standard election rates under Section 17-8-12 of Alabama Code.