SB284 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Clyde ChamblissSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Voting, paper ballot as integral part of state's electronic vote counting system, required, Sec. 17-7-23 am'd.

Summary

SB284 requires Alabama's electronic vote counting systems to use a voter-marked paper ballot that is inspected before counting.

What This Bill Does

It updates the law to mandate a paper ballot for electronic vote counting and clarifies certification and testing requirements. It requires systems to be certified by an authorized testing authority to meet federal standards, with the paper ballot marking and inspection by the voter before counting. It establishes reporting, certification, and enforcement processes for certified systems and their changes, along with a definition of paper ballots and a note that the act is effective immediately.

Who It Affects

• Voters: will have a verifiable, voter-marked paper ballot that can be inspected before their vote is counted.
• Election administrators, counties, and voting-system vendors: must use only certified systems with a paper-ballot requirement, pay certification costs, receive official reports, and follow rules for changes and certification.

Key Provisions

• Any approved electronic vote counting system must require a paper ballot that is marked by the voter and available for inspection before the vote is counted (paper ballot can be hand-marked or produced by a disability-accessible marking device).
• Systems must be certified by an authorized independent testing authority (or successor) as meeting Federal Election Commission standards; the vendor submitting a system must pay to the State Treasury an amount equal to the actual costs incurred in examination, with reimbursement made whether or not the system is certified; the committee may employ up to three experts to assist in examination and must receive a written report.
• Only systems that are certified may be adopted or used; the Secretary of State must maintain a certification report and notify county governing bodies; uncertified systems cannot be used.
• Any change or improvement to a certified system must be recertified before a county adopts it; the committee must re-examine the system to ensure continued compliance, and non-compliance can lead to suspension of sales in the state.
• The bill defines 'paper ballot' as a voter-marked ballot by hand or by a disability-accessible device, used for verification before counting.
• The act affirms that the use of electronic vote counting systems has been an acceptable method since the Election Reform Act of 1983 and becomes effective immediately upon passage.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 23, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Elections