Legislation seeking mandatory countywide and statewide general election audits was prefiled, requiring probate judges to oversee the auditing process.
By Alex Jobin
During the 2025 Legislative Session, state Rep. Debbie Wood, R-District 38, sponsored House Bill 30—the “Alabama Post-Election Audit Act”—which sought to require audits after every countywide and statewide general election in Alabama.
While that bill ultimately failed to pass into law, state Representative Joe Lovvorn, R-District 79, recently reintroduced Wood’s legislation, prefiled as House Bill 95 for the 2026 Legislative Session.
The text of Lovvorn’s bill is nearly identical to Wood’s HB30, and would require the probate judge of each county in Alabama to “order a post-election audit after every countywide and statewide general election, of all ballots in one precinct of a countywide or statewide race randomly selected by the canvassing board of each county.”
Each probate judge would also be responsible for appointing “an inspector and the appropriate number of other poll workers required to complete the audit in the same manner as for any other election” under the bill.
The legislation would require such audits to be conducted “no earlier than 31 days following the statewide general election, or the expiration of the time period for filing an election contest, whichever is less,” and to be completed within 30 days. Poll-watchers and media would be allowed to attend and observe the auditing process.
Once an audit is concluded, the appointed inspector would be required to report their findings to the Secretary of State, who would then make the results of the audit public and deliver them to the governor and state legislature. Included in the report would be a description of any problems identified during the audit, a description of the potential causes behind those problems, and a recommendation of potential improvements that could be implemented in future elections.
HB95 will now go to the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee for consideration during the 2026 Legislative Session, which will begin on Tuesday, January 13.
Alex Jobin is a reporter. You can reach him at ajobin@alreporter.com.