The Committee on Judiciary proposes the following amendment (LC-406.HDB0012H):

Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 2, by striking Section 7-13-1160 and inserting:

 Section 7-13-1160. Within twenty-four hours of the completion of the canvassing and counting of ballots, the persons in charge of each such election in each county shall notify the State Election Commission of the unofficial results of such election in each such county; provided, however, that failure to comply with the provisions of this section shall not invalidate the votes cast therein.(A) After the closing of the polls on election day, each county board of voter registration and elections must report results continuously and without delay in the manner prescribed by the State Election Commission and in the following order:
  (1) the unofficial results of the early voting period ballot tabulation;
  (2) the unofficial results of the absentee ballot tabulation; and
  (3) the unofficial results returned by the managers of election.
 (B) If the reporting of unofficial election results of the early voting period ballot tabulation or absentee ballot tabulation would result in a delay in the reporting of the unofficial results returned by the managers of election, then a county board of voter registration and elections, upon approval by the Executive Director of the State Election Commission, may begin to report the unofficial results returned by the managers of election prior to reporting the early voting period ballot tabulation or absentee ballot tabulation, as applicable, but must report the early voting period ballot tabulation or absentee ballot tabulation, as applicable, as soon as is practicable.