Amends TCA Title 2.

Present law provides that precincts with more than 300 registered voters must generally be equipped by the county in which they are located with voting machines for use in all elections, and smaller precincts may generally be so equipped. If the governing body of a county does not provide such voting machines, then the county election commission must generally equip the precincts with voting machines. This bill adds that, for the 2024 election cycle and election cycles thereafter, a county election commission may elect to use hand-marked paper ballots instead of voting machines in an election held in the county. <br /> <br /> HAND-MARKED PAPER BALLOTS<br /> <br /> Beginning with the 2024 election cycle, this bill authorizes each county election commission to use hand-marked paper ballots as the primary method of recording the vote used for certification; and to use a hand count of paper ballots as the primary method of tabulating votes. This bill requires the state coordinator of elections, prior to the 2024 election cycle, to do the following:<br /> <br /> (1) Procure a currency grade hand-marked paper ballot vendor that produces ballots containing a unique voter identifier or control number that allows for chain of custody accountability to be made available to county election commissions for use in all elections; <br /> <br /> (2) Ensure that paper ballots are uniform in form, fit, and function without distinguishing characteristics; <br /> <br /> (3) Inform county election commissions that such a paper ballot is available for elections conducted in 2024 and thereafter; and <br /> <br /> (4) Establish a process for county election commissions to place each ballot in a secure box or bin for hand-marked paper ballots to be retained until a hand count is performed after the polls close as long as such box or bin complies with provisions of law relative to ballot boxes.<br /> <br /> POLLING PLACE PROCEDURES<br /> <br /> This bill provides that the following applies to counties electing to use hand-marked paper ballots and hand counting of ballots beginning with the 2024 election cycle and all elections thereafter:<br /> <br /> (1) After the polling place has been closed, the judges must open the ballot box containing the hand-marked paper ballots in the polling place in the presence of the watchers and all other persons who are present;<br /> <br /> (2) The judges must alternate in drawing ballots and reading aloud within sight of the other judges the names of the persons who have been voted for on each ballot, and the two precinct registrars must record the votes at the same time for counting on record sheets;<br /> <br /> (3) The completed record sheets must be bound in the poll books;<br /> <br /> (4) Two judges of different political parties must then compute the votes for each candidate and each position on a question and enter the totals for the paper ballots on the duplicate tally sheets in ink;<br /> <br /> (5) The third judge must verify the computation and entry of the totals; and<br /> <br /> (6) The tally sheets for the hand count must be certified correct and signed by each judge and by the officer of elections and placed in the poll books.<br />