Challenging the ballots of electors at polling places

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Currently, any elector may challenge for cause the right of any other elector to vote at a polling place if the challenger knows or suspects that the challenged elector is not a qualified elector. The inspectors (poll workers) must then administer oaths to both the challenger and the challenged elector concerning the challenged elector's qualifications. If the inspectors receive the ballot of any elector who has been challenged, they must mark the ballot with the elector's serial number. If canvassing an election, a board of canvassers may review and decide any challenge and may count or reject a challenged ballot accordingly. If a petition for a recount is filed, the board of canvassers may again review and decide whether a challenged ballot is cast by a qualified elector and may count or reject the ballot accordingly. An elector may also challenge the ballot of an absent elector before the inspectors at a polling place or before a board of absentee ballot canvassers in municipalities where absent ballots are not canvassed at polling places. The challenged elector need not be present when the challenge is made.

This bill provides that only an elector who resides in the same senate district as the one in which a challenged elector resides may challenge the ballot of that elector. The bill directs the inspectors or board of absentee ballot canvassers to require the challenging elector to provide proof of residence, as defined by law, when making a challenge.

Who's behind it

3 senators are its authors⁠. All 3 are Democrats.

3 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.