Last week, the Alabama House Ways and Means Committee passed HB30, introduced by Rep. Debbie Wood, R-District 38, which would require post-election audits after every county and statewide general election in Alabama.
Also known as the Alabama Post-Election Audit Act, the bill dictates that “the judge of probate of each county shall order a post-election audit after every county and statewide general election of all ballots in one precinct of a countywide or statewide race, selected by the canvassing board of each county.” The judge of probate would also be responsible for appointing “an inspector and the appropriate number of other poll workers required to complete the audit in the same manner as for any other election.”
According to the legislation, the post-election audit “shall be conducted no earlier than 31 days following the statewide general election, or the expiration of the time period for filing an election contest, whichever is less, and shall be completed within 30 days of commencement.”
Once the audit is concluded, the appointed inspector would be required to report their findings to the Secretary of State who would then make the results of the audit public and deliver them to the governor and state legislature. Included in the report would be a description of any problems identified during the audit, a description of the potential causes behind those problems, and a recommendation of potential improvements that could be implemented in future elections.
Additionally, the bill would allow poll-watchers and media to attend and observe the auditing process.
Questions and conspiracy theories surrounding election security have grown in prominence in the wake of President Donald Trump’s repeatedly-debunked claims that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen.” Audits, like those proposed by HB30, are one way lawmakers hope to assuage fears around electoral integrity and increase public faith in election outcomes.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, “robust post-election audits are a necessary component of election security. In particular, risk-limiting audits will allow election officials to identify any potential issues with the electronic vote tallies prior to certifying an election.”
The Alabama Post-Election Audit Act will now move to be voted on by the House floor. If the bill is ultimately signed into law by the governor following passage of both the House and the Senate, its provisions would go into effect immediately.
