5219-S AMS .... JONE 002

SSB 5219 - S AMD

By Senator ....

On page 5, beginning on line 25, strike all material down to and including "state." on page 6, line 17 and insert the following:

"(2) ((Beginning January 1, 1993)) After the effective date of this act, the secretary of state shall not certify under this title any voting device or machine ((for use in conducting)) to conduct a primary or general or special election in this state ((unless the device or machine correctly records on a separate ballot the votes cast by each elector for any person and for or against any measure and such separate ballots are available for audit purposes after such a primary or election)) that uses punched holes to record the voter's choices.

(((3) Beginning January 1, 1993, a county with a population of less than seventy thousand may use a voting machine or device for conducting a primary or general or special election which does not record on a separate ballot, available for audit purposes after the primary or election, the votes cast by each elector for any person and for or against any measure if:

(a) The device was certified under this title before January 1, 1993, for use in this state;

(b) The device otherwise satisfies the requirements of this title; and

(c) Not more than twenty percent of the votes cast during any primary or general or special election conducted after January 1, 1998, in the county are cast using such a machine or device.

(4) The purpose of subsection (3) of this section is to permit less populous counties to replace voting equipment in stages over several years. These less populous counties are, nonetheless, encouraged to secure as expeditiously as possible voting equipment which would satisfy the requirements of subsection (1) of this section established for more populous counties.))

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EFFECT: The amendment deletes from the bill the requirement that counties must convert from punchcard voting systems. However, new punchcard voting systems cannot be certified after the effective date of the act.