Alabama's HB 95 Requires Post-Election Tabulation Audits Starting This Year

During the 2026 legislative session Alabama lawmakers passed HB 95, building on a limited pilot conducted in the 2022 general election. The bill follows a national trend: over the past 15 years more states have adopted post-election audits to verify voting equipment and procedures. While audit designs differ across states, Alabama's law sets a baseline tabulation audit that will be repeated every general election.

Each county must select one precinct and one statewide or countywide race for the audit. At least 30 ballots from that precinct must be counted by hand, though counties may audit additional precincts or races if they wish.

The requirement creates a routine check on ballot tabulators, giving officials a concrete way to confirm that machine counts match a manual sample. Because the audit starts after the contest window, its findings cannot alter the certified outcome but can inform future improvements in equipment testing, ballot handling, and observer training.