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Bill

S 87

Hand Count Audit

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Tom Young

Requires public hand-count audits as an allowed method to verify South Carolina election results, with audit reports posted online after elections and before certification.

Referred to Committee on Judiciary
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 87

Bill Summary — S 87: Hand‑Count Audit (as provided)

Note: The materials supplied for “S 87” include two different pieces of legislation (a South Carolina amendment regarding election audits and an unrelated Massachusetts bill on cannabis revenue). This summary focuses on the hand‑count audit provisions that appear to form the substance of the “Hand Count Audit” title — i.e., the South Carolina text amending election audit law. Where the legislative record appears inconsistent, that is noted below.

Purpose and intent

To require public hand‑count audits as one of the allowable methods for auditing election results and to require that election audit reports be posted publicly. The bill is intended to increase transparency and public access to election audit procedures and results.

Key provisions

  • Amends Section 7‑3‑20(19) of the South Carolina Code (powers of the Executive Director of the State Election Commission).
  • Requires that the Executive Director establish methods for auditing election results; allowable methods explicitly include:
    • Risk‑limiting audits;
    • Hand‑count audits;
    • Verification by independent third‑party vendors that specialize in election auditing;
    • Ballot reconciliation; or
    • Any other method the Executive Director deems appropriate.
  • Requires election result audits in all statewide elections to be conducted after the election concludes but prior to certification by the State Board of Canvassers. Audits for other elections may be conducted at the Executive Director’s discretion.
  • If a hand‑count audit is used, the hand count must be conducted publicly.
  • Audit reports must be published on the State Election Commission’s website once completed.
  • Effective date: upon approval by the Governor.

Who is affected

  • State Election Commission and its Executive Director (new explicit duties and transparency requirements).
  • State Board of Canvassers (timing: audits required before certification).
  • County or local election officials who must support and facilitate statewide audits.
  • Political parties, candidates, poll workers, and members of the public (increased opportunity to observe hand counts and access audit reports).
  • Potentially third‑party vendors engaged to perform audits.

Procedural / timeline aspects

  • Audits required for all statewide elections and must occur between election close and official certification.
  • Hand‑count audits, when used, must be held publicly and results published promptly.
  • The act takes effect immediately upon gubernatorial approval.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Transparency and public confidence: Public hand counts and published reports may increase perceived transparency.
  • Logistics and cost: Public hand counts are labor‑intensive and could require additional staff, training, secure venues, and scheduling before certification deadlines.
  • Timing: Conducting comprehensive audits before certification could stress certification timelines depending on audit scope and resources.
  • Security and chain of custody: Public procedures must still protect ballot security and voter privacy while allowing observation.
  • Flexibility retained: The Executive Director retains discretion to select audit methods and to require audits for non‑statewide elections.

Caveat about the provided materials

The document set also contains a separate Massachusetts cannabis revenue bill (Senate No. 87, presented by Liz Miranda) and inconsistent sponsor/committee action entries. Readers should verify the official bill text and legislative status in the relevant state’s legislative database to confirm which jurisdiction and version correspond to S 87 in their context.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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