BISMARCK – The North Dakota State House passed Tuesday a bill addressing the state’s voting systems.
House Bill 1192 removes the word “electronic” from the century code relating to voting systems, so that all voting systems, electronic or not, must be tested. It also gives county auditors more time to provide the Secretary of State with the county’s certified abstract of votes, from eight days after the election to 13 days after the election.
The sponsor and carrier of the bill, Rep. Scott Louser, R-Dis. 5, Minot, said the committee made two amendments, one that allows ballots to be scanned three business days before Election Day rather than the day of the election. The second amendment would require presidential electors to meet in the governor’s office the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December as opposed to the first Monday.
The bill passed 87 to 4 and will be sent to the Senate for consideration.
The House defeated HB1202 which would amend the North Dakota Century Code to include the production, distribution, and sale of edible, medical cannabis products. The bill, which the Speaker of the House said required 63 votes to pass, failed by a vote of 55 to 37.
The House also passed HB1120 which requires government boards to give their members the opportunity to voluntarily recite the pledge of allegiance, and HB1172 which prohibits any executive branch officer or employee from altering the current language of the Pledge of Allegiance. Both bills will be sent to the Senate for consideration.
