HB343 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Arnold MooneyRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

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

Summary

HB343 would require paper ballots to be used with Alabama's electronic vote counting systems, with voters marking and inspecting the paper before their votes are counted.

What This Bill Does

The bill requires that any approved electronic vote counting system use a paper ballot that the voter marks by hand or with a disability-access device and inspects before counting. It assigns oversight to the Alabama Electronic Voting Committee to examine and certify electronic voting systems, allows vendors to submit equipment for testing, and requires the vendor to reimburse testing costs. Certified systems must meet the Federal Election Commission's performance and testing standards and the paper-ballot requirement; any changes to certified systems must be recertified, and noncompliant changes can lead to suspending sales in Alabama. After certification, the Secretary of State must maintain a certification report and notify county election officials; uncertified systems cannot be used in elections, and the act would take effect immediately after passage.

Who It Affects

• Voters in Alabama, who would be required to use paper ballots and have their ballots marked and inspected before counting.
• Election officials, counties, and voting equipment vendors in Alabama, who would handle certification, testing, reporting, and potential suspension or removal of noncompliant systems.

Key Provisions

• Requires every approved electronic vote counting system to use a paper ballot that is marked by the voter and available for inspection before the vote is counted (hand-marked or disability-access ballot marking device).
• The Alabama Electronic Voting Committee must examine, certify, and test systems, may use an independent testing authority, and vendors submitting systems must pay examination costs; no examiner or committee member may have a financial interest in voting equipment.
• Certified systems must meet FC standards and the paper-ballot requirement; any changes to certified systems must be re-certified, and noncompliant changes can lead to suspension of sales in the state.
• After certification, the Secretary of State must maintain a report and notify counties; uncertified systems cannot be adopted or used in elections.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Elections