2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 21-A: ELECTIONS › Chapter 9: CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS › Subchapter 6: VOTING DEVICES › 21-A §808. Definitions

§808. Definitions
As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.   [PL 1991, c. 347, §5 (NEW).]
1.  Automatic tabulating equipment.
"Automatic tabulating equipment" means any apparatus that automatically examines and counts votes recorded on paper ballots and tabulates the results.
[PL 2001, c. 310, §58 (AMD).]
1-A.  Accessible voting system.
"Accessible voting system" means a voting system that is accessible for individuals with disabilities, including nonvisual accessibility for the blind and visually impaired, in a manner that provides the same opportunity for access and participation, including privacy and independence, as for other voters.
[PL 2007, c. 455, §48 (NEW).]
2.  Ballot or paper ballot.
"Ballot" or "paper ballot" means the printed paper ballot on which votes may be recorded in the layout and format required to conform to the electronic voting system in use.
[PL 1991, c. 347, §5 (NEW).]
3.  Ballot card.
[PL 2001, c. 310, §59 (RP).]
4.  Ballot labels.
"Ballot labels" means the pages, cards or other material containing the names of offices and candidates and the referendum questions to be voted on that are placed on the voting device to conform with the voting system in use.
[PL 1991, c. 347, §5 (NEW).]
5.  Counting center.
"Counting center" means one or more locations selected by the municipal officers for the automatic counting of ballots.
[PL 1991, c. 347, §5 (NEW).]
5-A.  Direct recording electronic voting machine.
"Direct recording electronic voting machine" means a system that records votes by means of a ballot display provided with mechanical, electro-optical or electro-audio components that can be activated by the voter, that processes data by means of a computer program and that records voting data in memory components. A direct recording electronic voting machine produces a tabulation of the voting data stored in a removable memory component and on a printed copy.
[PL 2003, c. 651, §1 (NEW).]
6.  Electronic tabulating system.
"Electronic tabulating system" means a mark-sense voting system where the paper ballots are subsequently counted and tabulated by an electronic tabulating device at one or more counting centers. "Electronic tabulating system" includes all the software and firmware required to program and control the equipment in the respective system.
[PL 2001, c. 310, §60 (AMD).]
7.  Marking device.
"Marking device" means any special marking implements or fluorescent or opaque inks that are required for marking paper ballots, depending on the type of system in use.
[PL 2001, c. 310, §61 (AMD).]
8.  Mark-sense voting system.
"Mark-sense voting system" means a system in which votes are recorded on paper ballots by making marks in special voting response locations using a marking device. The votes on the paper ballots are subsequently counted and tabulated by an electronic tabulating device at one or more counting centers.
[PL 1995, c. 459, §84 (AMD).]
8-A.  Mechanical lever voting machine.
"Mechanical lever voting machine" means a machine that directly records a voter's choices via mechanical lever-actuated controls into a counting mechanism that tallies the votes without using a physical ballot.
[PL 2003, c. 651, §2 (NEW).]
8-B.  Punch card voting machine.
"Punch card voting machine" means a machine that transmits a voter's choices onto either a prescored or unscored ballot via mechanically punched holes that are then read and tallied by the machine.
[PL 2003, c. 651, §2 (NEW).]
9.  Punch card voting system.
[PL 2001, c. 310, §62 (RP).]
10.  Voting device.
"Voting device" means the voting machine or electronic tabulating system apparatus that the voters use to record their votes on paper ballots or on a tabulating card.
[PL 1995, c. 459, §84 (AMD).]
11.  Voting machine.
"Voting machine" means an apparatus on which voters cast their votes that records each vote by means of mechanical or electronic counters and furnishes a total of the number of votes cast for each candidate and for and against each referendum measure.
[PL 2001, c. 310, §63 (AMD).]
12.  Voting system.
"Voting system" means the total combination of mechanical, electromechanical or electronic equipment, including the software, firmware and documentation required to program, control and support the equipment, that is used to define or produce ballots, to cast and count votes, to report or display election results and to maintain and produce any audit trail information.
[PL 2007, c. 455, §49 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1991, c. 347, §5 (NEW). PL 1995, c. 459, §84 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 310, §§58-63 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 651, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 455, §§48, 49 (AMD).