March 11, 2023

Bill updating Election Code heads to House floor

Legislation that aims to update the state’s Election Code passed the House Judiciary Committee on a 6-4 vote on Saturday. SB 180 requests an update the state’s Election Code including specifying when the Inspection of Public Records Act, or IPRA, can be used for election information, allowing electronic nominating petition signatures, creating an election security […]

Nicole Maxwell

Legislation that aims to update the state’s Election Code passed the House Judiciary Committee on a 6-4 vote on Saturday.

SB 180 requests an update the state’s Election Code including specifying when the Inspection of Public Records Act, or IPRA, can be used for election information, allowing electronic nominating petition signatures, creating an election security program, requiring training for election challengers and watchers, revising requirements for the impoundment of ballots, audits, voting machine rechecks and recounts, revising election-related crimes and authorizing taxpayer information to be revealed to the secretary of state for purposes of maintaining voter registration records.

More: Election code update passes Senate

The bill was discussed but not voted on during a Friday afternoon HJC meeting with discussion continuing during the Saturday, March 11 meeting.

“These changes are absolutely necessary for the conduct of elections,” Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said.

The bill is similar to the Voting Rights Act, HB 4, which is a policy bill while SB 180 is a technical bill, Toulouse Oliver said.

“We’re talking about, sort of, the inner workings of the election code and tweaking them so that we can run elections more efficiently,” Toulouse Oliver said.

The bill now goes to the House floor.