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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 9, 2021 01:33 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Francis X. Ryan |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Post Election Audit and Reconciliation Procedures |
| As we examine the control concerns in the Auditor General’s Audit of the SURE system completed in 2019, it became apparent that certain controls were lacking in the system of internal and external controls on voting. The purpose of this legislation is to reform the processes going forward. In the analysis of the general election in 2020, it was determined that the SURE system uploading of voter records was inconsistent from county to county. In many cases, the voter records were never reconciled. The legislation will require a specific review process and internal control methodology for the Commonwealth to follow prior to certification of an election. Currently, 25 Pa.C.S. § 3031.13 ~ Post Election Procedures proscribes “(a) As soon as the polls have been closed and the last elector has voted in districts having an electronic voting system which employs paper ballots or ballot cards, and district tabulation is provided for, the number of such ballots issued to electors (at primary elections, the number issued to the electors of each party) and the number of ballots (at primaries the number of ballots of each party), if any, spoiled and returned by voters and cancelled, shall be announced to all present in the polling place and entered on the general returns of votes cast at such primary or election. The district election officers shall then compare the number of names marked as voting in the district register, "Voting Check List" and numbered lists of voters, shall announce the result, and shall enter on the general returns the number of electors who have voted, as shown by the "Voter's Check List." Any differences which exist shall be reconciled where possible, and where reconciliation is not possible such differences shall be noted on the general returns.” The legislation will require that counties include as part of the system of internal controls, the SURE system with the voting records of each precinct prior to the certification of an election. The system will be subject to external audit and certification of the system of internal controls as the Commonwealth level and at the county level at least once every five years in an audit conducted in accordance with Generally Accepted Governmental Audit Standards (GAGAS). Please join with me in co-sponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as HB1477