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.
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The General Court provides this information as a public service and while we endeavor to keep the data accurate and current to the best of our ability, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.