JEFFERSON CITY – State Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman recently filed legislation to enhance the security and transparency of elections in Missouri. Coleman is the sponsor of HB 1988, which would change the process by which the Secretary of State receives and publishes voting totals from each precinct.
HB 1988 requires the vote tabulation process to be done in a secure and transparent manner. It requires each local election authority to tabulate precinct results before releasing the data to the Secretary of State. Additionally, the bill specifies the tabulation process will be done by mechanical means or by a computer not capable of connection with the internet or other devices.
“Free and fair elections are vital to the success of our great nation. I’m proud to have filed HB1988 which requires the Secretary of State to withhold publication of election results for every precinct in each given race until all precincts in that race have been reported,” said Coleman, R-Arnold. She added, “People want to have confidence that their votes matter, from the first precinct counted to the last.”
Coleman pre-filed her bill on December 16, 2021. The 2022 legislative session began Wednesday, January 5. Coleman’s legislation must make its way through the legislative process before the session ends on May 13.