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Bill

Bill

SB 2816

Relating to the partial count of electronic voting system ballots.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Paul Bettencourt

SB 2816 permits Texas election officials to conduct partial rather than complete electronic ballot counts, potentially affecting vote tabulation procedures and result verification.

Referred to State Affairs
#elections--electionofficers(i0305) #elections--general(i0310) #elections--votingsystems(i0270) #electronicinformationsystems(i0311) #secretaryofstate(v0042)
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 2816

Legislative bill overview

SB 2816 allows for partial counting of electronic voting system ballots in Texas, rather than requiring a complete count of all ballots cast. The bill modifies procedures for how election officials process and tabulate votes from electronic machines. This represents a change to current Texas election protocols that typically mandate full ballot counts.

Why is this important

Election counting procedures directly affect election integrity, accuracy, and public confidence in results. Partial counting systems could streamline vote tabulation in some scenarios but raise questions about statistical validity and completeness of final tallies. The practical implementation details—what triggers partial counts, sampling methodology, and audit procedures—would significantly impact how Texas elections are administered.

Potential points of contention

  • Election accuracy concerns: Whether partial counts provide statistically reliable results and how sampling methodology would be validated
  • Voter intent verification: Whether partial counting adequately captures and records all voter choices, particularly in close elections
  • Audit and transparency: How partial counts would be audited, verified, and reconciled with complete ballot images; what transparency mechanisms would exist

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

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