HB1423

House Bill 1423 amends Arkansas election law regarding the procedures for recounting ballots. It establishes specific timelines for candidates to file recount petitions based on the status of outstanding overseas absentee and provisional ballots. The bill defines the official record for recounts involving direct-recording electronic voting machines with voter-verified paper audit trails, designating the audit trail as the official ballot for such recounts. It grants county boards of election commissioners authority to determine the manual or mechanical methods used for recounts and sets requirements for verifying duplicated, damaged, or defective ballots. Additionally, the bill outlines administrative protocols for the recount process, including mandatory candidate notification and the creation of certified results tapes. It maintains the requirement that the candidate requesting the recount bears the initial costs, but clarifies that these costs are capped and must be refunded if the election outcome changes.