Requires election verifications boards to conduct an audit of a random sample of ballots with a hand recount

This bill requires election verification boards to perform a hand recount of a random sample of ballots from at least five percent of election precincts. The specific precincts to be audited are selected through a public random drawing, and the recount covers various races, including those with very narrow margins of victory. To help cover the costs of these additional manual counts, the secretary of state is authorized to provide reimbursement funds to election authorities. These changes directly affect election officials, candidates, and the public by adding a layer of manual verification to the election process.