SB 5395-S.E - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2006, all electronic voting devices shall produce an individual paper record, at the time of voting, that may be reviewed by the voter before finalizing his or her vote. This record may not be removed from the polling place and must be machine readable for counting purposes. If the device is programmed to display the ballot in multiple languages, the paper record produced must be printed in the language used by each voter. Rejected records must either be destroyed or marked in order to clearly identify the record as rejected.

Provides that paper records produced by electronic voting devices are subject to all of the requirements of chapter 29A.44 and chapter 29A.60 RCW for ballot handling, preservation, reconciliation, transit to the counting center, and storage. The paper records must be preserved in the same manner and for the same period of time as ballots.

Provides that a voter voting on an electronic voting system may not leave the device during the voting process, except to request assistance from the precinct election officers, until the voting process is completed.

Provides that anyone who, without authorization, removes from a polling place a paper record produced by an electronic voting device is guilty of a class C felony punishable under RCW 9A.20.021.