West Virginia bill mandates electronic ballot image submission for election audits
March 20, 2025 | 2025 Legislature WV, West Virginia
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The West Virginia Senate Government Organization Committee convened on March 20, 2025, to discuss a proposed bill aimed at enhancing election integrity through the preservation of ballot images. The bill seeks to allow for the comparison of ballot images—PDF recreations of each ballot—with the cast vote record to identify any discrepancies in election results.
The legislation mandates that county election officials provide the Secretary of State's office with both the cast vote record and ballot images for all votes cast, organized by precinct. This information must be published on a designated website within 24 hours of receipt. The estimated cost for implementing this system is approximately $90,000, primarily for the necessary thumb drives to ensure secure data transmission.
Dean Kersey, Chief of Staff for the Secretary of State, addressed the committee, explaining the technical and practical aspects of implementing the bill. He noted that while the current voting system could accommodate the proposed changes, it would require additional tasks for clerks to ensure proper data management between election day and the official canvassing period.
Committee members raised concerns regarding the potential for discrepancies in citizen audits, as there is currently no mechanism for individuals to challenge election results based solely on their own counts. Kersey clarified that while the bill would allow for public access to ballot images, these images would remain anonymous, preventing voters from identifying their individual ballots.
Linda Grindley, a representative from Citizens for Election Integrity, testified in support of the bill, emphasizing the importance of saving ballot images for post-election audits. She argued that this measure would provide an additional layer of verification in cases of contested results or suspected tampering.
Michelle Holly, Fayette County Clerk, expressed some concerns regarding the bill's implementation, particularly the lack of timestamping for published ballot images, which could compromise voter anonymity in small precincts. She suggested that combining smaller precincts could help mitigate this risk.
The committee concluded the session with a commitment to further discuss the bill's implications and potential amendments to address privacy concerns. The meeting highlighted the ongoing efforts in West Virginia to enhance election transparency and integrity while balancing the need for voter anonymity.
The legislation mandates that county election officials provide the Secretary of State's office with both the cast vote record and ballot images for all votes cast, organized by precinct. This information must be published on a designated website within 24 hours of receipt. The estimated cost for implementing this system is approximately $90,000, primarily for the necessary thumb drives to ensure secure data transmission.
Dean Kersey, Chief of Staff for the Secretary of State, addressed the committee, explaining the technical and practical aspects of implementing the bill. He noted that while the current voting system could accommodate the proposed changes, it would require additional tasks for clerks to ensure proper data management between election day and the official canvassing period.
Committee members raised concerns regarding the potential for discrepancies in citizen audits, as there is currently no mechanism for individuals to challenge election results based solely on their own counts. Kersey clarified that while the bill would allow for public access to ballot images, these images would remain anonymous, preventing voters from identifying their individual ballots.
Linda Grindley, a representative from Citizens for Election Integrity, testified in support of the bill, emphasizing the importance of saving ballot images for post-election audits. She argued that this measure would provide an additional layer of verification in cases of contested results or suspected tampering.
Michelle Holly, Fayette County Clerk, expressed some concerns regarding the bill's implementation, particularly the lack of timestamping for published ballot images, which could compromise voter anonymity in small precincts. She suggested that combining smaller precincts could help mitigate this risk.
The committee concluded the session with a commitment to further discuss the bill's implications and potential amendments to address privacy concerns. The meeting highlighted the ongoing efforts in West Virginia to enhance election transparency and integrity while balancing the need for voter anonymity.
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