AR HB1423

Amends petition deadlines for election recounts based on outstanding absentee ballots and uncanvassed provisional ballots: candidates must petition within 2 days if these ballots cannot change results, or at any time before county certification or noon on the seventh day following the election if they could change results

Establishes that voter-verified paper audit trails from direct recording electronic voting machines serve as official ballots for recounts, with county boards able to either manually sum totals or hand count votes

Requires county boards conducting recounts to recount all affected precincts, review duplicated ballots for accuracy, notify affected candidates, create certified results tapes, and manually compile countywide totals that match electronically derived totals

Sets recount cost limits at 25 cents per vote cast in affected precincts or $2,500 maximum per county (whichever is less), with costs borne by the petitioning candidate but refunded if the election outcome changes

Mandates county boards notify all affected candidates within 48 hours after a recount petition is filed