Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 9.

This bill creates requirements for voting machine purchases and vote preservation.<br /> <br /> This bill requires a county election commission that purchases a direct recording electronic voting system (DRE system) after July 1, 2021, to ensure that the DRE system has the capability to create a voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) for each ballot cast.<br /> <br /> This bill requires the state coordinator of elections to provide, upon request, a county election commission with necessary assistance and guidance in the selection or upgrade of a DRE system pursuant to the requirements of this bill. To the extent federal funding through the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) remains available for the cost of purchasing, leasing, or upgrading any DRE systems, the coordinator must provide financial assistance for purchasing or leasing such systems under this bill.<br /> <br /> This bill requires a county election commission to preserve VVPATs as paper ballots. Under present law, the commission must preserve paper ballots for six months after the election to which they were cast or offered to be cast and may then dispose of them. During the period in which they are preserved, the packages of ballots must be kept securely locked and may be opened and the ballots examined only on court order or during a contested election of governor.<br />