Legislation that stalled in the 2024 legislative session that would mandate random post-election audits has been pre-filed for 2025.
2025 will be the third year State Rep. Debbie Wood (R-Valley) has endeavored to pass a bill requiring the probate judge of each county to conduct a post-election audit after every county and statewide general election to determine the accuracy of the initially reported election results.
Alabama is one of two states, alongside New Hampshire, that does not mandate such audits.
According to Wood, the bill's main purpose is to validate the accuracy of the state’s electronic tabulators, many of which are 10 years old or older.
“I think a post-election audit gives a chance to look at the machines we’re using,” Wood told 1819 News. "By the way, do you have any idea how old the machines are that we’re using in this state? Most are over 15 years old. I try to be generous and just say between 10 and 15 years old. And you know yourself, you don’t use a 15-year-old cell phone or a 15-year-old computer. And yet we’re using a 15-year-old piece of equipment to count our votes."
Past attempts to pass the legislation have been the result of advocacy and legwork from Angela Shepherd, an Auburn native and advocate who has pushed for election integrity measures since the 2022 midterms.
During that election cycle, Shepherd shot a video of a vote tabulation machine accepting multiple copies of the same rough-cut paper ballot during a public test. The video swiftly went viral, validating the concerns of many who expressed concerns over tabulating machines, especially after the 2020 presidential election, which was fraught with accusations of voter fraud.
“My journey began with Angela after she came and showed me her video,” Wood continued. "So I was at a Republican women’s meeting, and she came up and said, ‘I’m Angela Shepherd; I’m the crazy ballot lady.’ I thought that was a weird way to introduce yourself, but she actually put her name in my phone as the crazy ballot lady. After I saw her video, I called her and asked why she calls herself the crazy ballot lady. She said, ‘Every time I share my story with people that can make a difference, they tell me I’m crazy, or I could be put in jail for doing what I did.'”
“So, she’s kind of been shut down by the people that need to make these changes in the state, and that frustrated me. Because, when you uncover a problem, even though we’ve been told for years that we have the best election system in the U.S., that we have the safest, here she’s uncovered a problem, and no one’s willing to deal with it," she added.
The new version of the bill, House Bill 30 (HB30), is identical to the version that made its way to the Senate in 2024 before gambling gridlock halted its advancement like dozens of others at the tail end of the contentious session.
The legislation would require a post-election manual audit after every county and statewide general election consisting of a manual tally of all ballots in at least one randomly selected precinct for one countywide or statewide race, chosen randomly by the canvassing board. Any audit would occur after the 31 days allowed for an election contest has passed.
The original 2024 bill stated that the audit would be hand-counted. The new version allows audits with a "clean" tabulator that is not used in any actual election. Hand counting is also allowed. The state will also reimburse counties for any cost accrued performing the audit.
“What I’m trying to get people to do is understand that we have a responsibility to ensure that every vote counts and the ones that shouldn’t be there are not,” Wood concluded. “So, if we’re going to claim we have the safest elections because we’re using paper ballots, then we need to be checking the machines. I don’t think that poll workers are doing anything wrong. I appreciate their service because they don’t get paid enough. But we’re not checking those machines. It’s a piece of technology. Technology goes down all the time and has errors, and we’re not checking them. That’s what this bill does. It makes sure we’re checking the machines.”
Wood and Shepard applauded Secretary of State Wes Allen’s recent endeavors to prioritize election integrity in his administration. Wood said that Allen was entirely behind the bill.
“We are grateful for Secretary Allen continuing to support election integrity in Alabama,” Shepherd told 1819 News. “As election audits are essential for verifying the accuracy of election results, ensuring transparency, and bolstering public confidence in the electoral process we look forward to pushing HB30 next session to make this a reality. Given Allen's steadfast commitment to election integrity, his leadership in advocating for comprehensive post-election audits will address this critical gap, fortify Alabama's election security, and uphold the democratic principle that every vote must be accurately counted and verified.”
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
