EDRIElection Dispute Resolution Index
How robust are mechanisms to resolve election disputes?
Dimensions
Contest
30.0% · 2/5| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CONT.EDRI.1Standing enumeratedAre the parties with standing to contest an election (candidate, party, qualified voters of the precinct, AG, etc.) enumerated in statute? | 0/10.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-18 |
| CONT.EDRI.2Venue & jurisdictionIs the court of original jurisdiction for election contests specified by statute? | 0.5/150.0% | § 9-200 codifies canvass procedure with court-cross-references. Article 16 (Judicial Proceedings) codifies venue: Supreme Court (justice within judicial district) or county court (judge within county) for the various proceeding types (§§ 16-102, 16-106, 16-110, 16-113). Venue & jurisdiction is statutorily codified. | § view source 2026-05-18 |
| CONT.EDRI.3Filing deadlineIs the deadline for filing an election contest (days after certification, or after a defined event) specified by statute? | 1/1100.0% | § 6-124 codifies judicial-convention filing deadlines. § 9-200 codifies the canvass procedure tied to filing windows. § 16-102 (not in FTS top-5 for this datapoint) codifies the 14-day filing deadline for designation/nomination contests + 3-business-day deadline after invalidity determination. Statutory deadlines are clearly codified. | § view source 2026-05-18 |
| CONT.EDRI.4Standard of proof & evidenceAre the standard of proof and admissibility rules for election-contest evidence codified in statute? | 0/20.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-18 |
Recount
50.0% · 2/4| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| RECT.1Statutory recount procedureAre recount procedures (who counts, how, with what evidence) defined in statute, not regulation or administrative directive? | 1/1100.0% | § 9-208 codifies the statutory recanvass procedure: within 15 days after every general/special election (20 days after primary, 7 days after village), a bipartisan committee of the board shall recanvass tabulated result tapes from each ballot scanner by comparing to return of canvass, plus recanvass hand-counted ballots and write-in votes. Procedure is statutorily defined. “the board of elections, or a bipartisan committee of or appointed by said board shall, in each county using ballot scanners, make a record of the serial number of each ballot scanner used in each election district in such general, special or primary election.” | § view source 2026-05-18 |
| RECT.2Recount triggers enumeratedAre the triggers for an automatic or petition-based recount enumerated in statute (margin thresholds, sworn challenge, etc.)? | 1/1100.0% | § 9-208 codifies the discrepancy-trigger for automatic escalation: where the recanvass identifies a discrepancy, additional procedures kick in. § 9-211(3) codifies the audit-discrepancy-escalation thresholds. § 16-113 codifies court-ordered manual audit on petition where discrepancy is material. | § view source 2026-05-18 |
| RECT.3Recount cost allocationIs the cost of a petition-based recount allocated by statute (who pays under what outcome)? | 0/10.0% | No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: § 17-102 codifies misdemeanors in connection with primary elections — unrelated to recount cost allocation. Recount cost allocation is not codified in ELN; petitioner-initiated court-ordered audits proceed via § 16-113 without explicit fee-shifting. | § view source 2026-05-18 |
| RECT.4Recount-finding effectAre the legal effects of a recount finding (binding, advisory, mandatory amendment) codified in statute? | 0/10.0% | No candidate sections returned by FTS. | no FTS match 2026-05-18 |
Timing
75.0% · 2/2| Datapoint | Score | Rationale & evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIME.1Certification deadline in statuteIs the certification deadline (when the result becomes 'official') set by statute, not by administrative discretion? | 1/1100.0% | § 9-210 codifies the statements-of-canvass timing by canvassing boards. § 9-200 codifies primary-canvass deadlines. § 9-211 codifies audit-completion timing relative to certification. § 15-126 codifies village-canvass deadlines. § 16-102 codifies contest filing deadlines tied to certification dates. Certification deadlines are statutorily codified. | § view source 2026-05-18 |
| TIME.2Pre-certification stayDoes statute provide a mechanism to stay certification while a recount or contest is pending? | 0.5/150.0% | § 3-104 codifies state board enforcement powers including issuance of orders. § 16-106(5) codifies temporary/preliminary injunctive relief and impound orders halting or altering the canvassing schedule when procedural irregularities are alleged. Pre-certification stay mechanism is codified. | § view source 2026-05-18 |