California · Elections Code

ELEC §19270: (a) The Secretary of State shall not certify or conditionally approve a direct recording electronic voting system unless the system includes an accessible voter verified paper audit trail.

What this law says, in plain English

The Secretary of State cannot certify or conditionally approve electronic voting systems unless they include an accessible paper audit trail that voters can verify.

Read the full statutory text
(a) The Secretary of State shall not certify or conditionally approve a direct recording electronic voting system unless the system includes an accessible voter verified paper audit trail. (b) On and after January 1, 2006, a city or county shall not contract for or purchase a direct recording electronic voting system unless the system has been certified or conditionally approved for use by the Secretary of State. (c) As of January 1, 2006, all direct recording electronic voting systems in use on that date, regardless of the date it was contracted for or purchased, shall have received federal qualification and include an accessible voter verified paper audit trail. If the direct recording electronic voting system does not include an accessible voter verified paper audit trail, the system shall be replaced or modified to include an accessible voter verified paper audit trail. (d) All direct recording electronic voting systems shall include a method by which a voter may electronically verify, through a nonvisual method, the information that is contained on the paper record copy of that voter’s ballot. (e) A paper record copy that is printed by a voter verified paper audit trail component shall be printed in the same language that the voter used when casting his or her ballot on the direct recording electronic voting system. For languages that lack a written form, the paper record copy shall be printed in English.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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