Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb650%20intr.htm&yr=2013&sesstype=RS&i=650
Timestamp: 2018-01-18 21:17:31
Document Index: 321834607

Matched Legal Cases: ['§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3', '§3']

Introduced Version Senate Bill 650 History
(By Senators Williams, Chafin and Plymale)
A BILL to amend and reenact §3-4A-2, §3-4A-8, §3-4A-23 and §3-4A-27 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating generally to voting system certification and procedures at the central counting center; updating and clarifying the definitions related to electronic voting systems; updating language related to approval of electronic voting systems; correcting internal references; and updating and clarifying language related to proceedings at the central counting center.
That §3-4A-2, §3-4A-8, §3-4A-23 and §3-4A-27 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
(1) "Automatic tabulating equipment" means all apparatus necessary to electronically count votes recorded on ballots, and tabulate the results and produce necessary reports;
(2) "Ballot" means an electronic image or paper on which votes may be recorded by means of perforating or marking with electronically sensible ink or pencil or a screen upon which votes may be recorded by means of a stylus or by means of touch a logical or physical device that presents races, candidates, and contests and facilitates the capture of the voter’s choices or intent;
(4) “Electronic poll book” means an electronic device containing the same voter registration information maintained by the county clerk in a printed poll book for the purpose of facilitating voting at the precinct.
(5) "Electronic voting system" is a means of conducting an election whereby votes are recorded on ballots by means of an electronically sensible marking ink, by perforating or are recorded on equipment that registers votes on a computer disk, or by touching a screen with a stylus or by means of touch, and votes are subsequently counted by automatic tabulating equipment at the central counting center one or more integrated devices that utilize an electronic component for the following functions: Ballot presentation, vote capture, vote recording and tabulation;
(7) "Vote-recording device" means equipment in which ballots are placed to allow a voter to record his or her vote by electronically sensible ink, or pencil, or a screen upon which votes may be recorded by means of a stylus or by means of touch that captures and records voter intent by marking a screen to record selections or by using electronically sensible ink to mark selections.
(8) “Voter verified paper audit trail” means a physical printout on which the voter’s ballot choices, as registered by a direct recording device, are recorded. This shall be visible to the voter and shall be securely locked to avoid tampering.
(b) The State Election Commission shall appoint two qualified computer experts who are not members of the same political party to examine the system and make full reports on the system to the commission within thirty ninety days from the date the State Election Commission approves the consideration of the application. They shall state in the report whether the examined system complies with the requirements of this article and the federal agency responsible for certifying voting systems and can be safely used by voters at elections under the conditions prescribed in this article. If the report is in the affirmative on that question, the commission may approve the system and adopt a system of its make and design for use at elections as provided in this article: Provided, That under no circumstances may a system be approved that is not capable of accurately tabulating returns based upon all possible combinations of voting patterns including, but not limited to, crossover voting and in accordance with section five, article six of this chapter. The vendor of the approved system shall provide the State Election Commission with a report, due on January 1, of each even-numbered year, that outlines any problem that has been experienced with the equipment by any jurisdiction in the state or in any jurisdiction outside the state that uses the same or a similar version of the equipment that has been certified for use in this state.
Excepting election officials acting under authority of sections nineteen, twenty twenty-one and twenty-two of this article in the conduct of the election, and qualified persons assisting voters pursuant to section twenty-two of this article, no person other than the voter may be in, about or within five feet of the voting booth during the time the voter is voting at any election. While the voter is voting, no person may communicate with the voter in any manner and the voter may not communicate with any other person or persons. No person may enter a voting booth with any recording or electronic device in order to record or interfere with the voting process. Any conduct or action of an election official about or around the voting booth while the voter is in the process of voting, except as expressly provided in this article, is a violation of this section. Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or be sentenced to imprisonment in the county jail for a period not more than twelve months or, in the discretion of the court, shall be subject to both such fine and imprisonment.
(1) In systems using ballots marked with electronically sensible ink, ballots are to be removed from the ballot boxes and stacked for the tabulator which separates ballots containing marks for a write-in position. Immediately after tabulation, the valid write-in votes are to be tallied. No write-in vote may be counted for an office unless the voter has entered the name of an official write-in candidate for that office on the line provided; either by writing, affixing a sticker or placing an ink-stamped impression thereon;
(2) In systems using ballots in which votes are recorded upon screens with a stylus or by means of touch, the personalized electronic ballots are to be removed from the containers and stacked for the tabulator tabulated according to the processes of the system. Systems using ballots in which votes are recorded upon screens with a stylus or by means of touch are to tally write-in ballots simultaneously with the other ballots;
(3) When more than one person is to be elected to an office and the voter desires to cast write-in votes for more than one official write-in candidate for that office, a single punch or mark, as the voter shall mark the location appropriate for the voting system, in the write-in location for that office. is sufficient for all write-in choices. When there are multiple write-in votes for the same office and the combination of choices for candidates on the ballot and write-in choices for the same office exceed the number of candidates to be elected, the ballot is to be duplicated or hand counted, with all votes for that office rejected;
(d) If any ballot card is damaged or defective so that it cannot properly be counted by the automatic tabulating equipment, a true duplicate copy is to be made of the damaged ballot card in the presence of representatives of each political party on the ballot and substituted for the damaged ballot card. All duplicate ballot cards ballots are to be clearly labeled "duplicate" and are to bear a serial number which is recorded on the damaged or defective ballot card and on the replacement ballot. card.
(e) The returns printed by the automatic tabulating equipment at the central counting center, to which have been added write-in and other valid votes, are, when certified by the clerk of the county commission, to constitute the official unofficial preliminary returns of each precinct or election district the county. Further, all the returns are to be printed on a precinct basis. Periodically throughout and upon. Upon completion of the count, the returns are to be open to the public by posting a summary of the returns as have been tabulated precinct by precinct at the central counting center. Upon completion of the canvass, the returns are to be posted in the same manner as tabulated precinct by precinct.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to update the article relating to electronic voting systems by updating and clarifying the definitions related to electronic voting systems; updating language related to approval of electronic voting systems; correcting internal references; and updating and clarifying language related to proceedings at the central counting center.