SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1094        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 324

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

James B. Eldridge

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act requiring the use of paper ballots.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1094        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 324

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 307 OF 2011-2012.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

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An Act requiring the use of paper ballots.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 50 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting before the word “ballot”, in line 65, the word:- paper.

SECTION 2. Section 33 of chapter 54 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting before the first paragraph the following paragraph:-

All voting systems shall allow voters to directly mark an official paper ballot, either by hand or, in the case of voters with disabilities, by way of a marking device. All voting systems shall allow the voter to verify his vote on the official ballot before the vote is cast. No voting system shall be approved if the recording and tallying of the votes take place electronically in one machine or in machines electronically connected to each other, even if such machines provide a paper receipt. The official ballot marked, verified, and cast by the voter shall be the official record of the vote. Only votes on official ballots may be counted.

SECTION 3. Said section 33 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 6-8, the words “but no machine shall be approved which does not secure to the voter as much secrecy in voting as is afforded by the use of the official ballot” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- but no machine shall be approved which does not allow the voter to directly mark and verify his own official paper ballot, and does not secure to the voter as much secrecy in voting as marking the official ballot by hand.

SECTION 4. Said section 33 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 35-37, the words “but no system shall be approved which does not secure to the voter as much secrecy in voting as is afforded by the use of the official ballot” and inserting in place thereof the following words:-  but no system shall be approved which does not allow the voter to directly mark and verify the voter’s own official paper ballot, and does not secure to the voter as much secrecy in voting as marking the official ballot by hand.