This bill introduces new procedures for vote verification, voter verification, and audit transparency:
Vote Verification:
Ballots will be assigned unique vote tracking numbers, and voters will receive corresponding voter identifier numbers.
These numbers are published by the secretary of state (secretary) on publicly accessible ledgers: a vetting transparency ledger for vote tracking numbers, and a ballot transparency ledger for voter identifier numbers.
The number of vote tracking numbers on the vetting transparency ledger will match the number of voter identifier numbers on the ballot transparency ledger.
After a ballot is cast, its information is added to the cast vote transparency ledger, including the corresponding vote tracking number.
Voters may challenge the entry related to their vote by referencing their vote tracking number. The secretary will maintain a challenged vote ledger to track the status of these challenges.
Voter Verification:
Voters must provide the following information to the secretary at least one month before an election to receive a mail ballot:
Mailing address
Copy of relevant identification
Proof of voter qualifications
Request to receive a mail ballot
Acknowledgment of penalties for vote-related fraud
Verification that the voter is human
Voters can submit this information through the secretary's website or while paying a utility bill.
The bill:
Prohibits distribution of mail ballots more than 2 weeks before the election.
Requires the secretary to withdraw from the electronic registration information system within 30 days of the bill's effective date.
Requires the secretary to annually remove all voter registration information from the statewide voter registration system, with verification from a non-state agency.
Audit Transparency:
The secretary must generate randomly assigned audit numbers (RAANs) for each election, equal to the number of voters plus 1%.
RAANs are tracked in a RAAN tracking database.
Each RAAN is randomly attached to a ballot. Once a ballot is cast:
Voters can keep a copy of their RAAN.
The secretary enters the first 12 digits of the RAAN into the database to verify its validity.
The ballot is scanned, and the partial RAAN and the votes cast are entered into a publicly accessible, downloadable, searchable cast vote record database.
The secretary must verify the cast vote record against the scanned ballot.
An individual can challenge the information in the cast vote record by presenting the full RAAN to the secretary.
This framework aims to enhance transparency, verification, and accountability in the voting and election processes.
Summary
The bill creates new processes for vote verification, voter
verification, and audit transparency.
For vote verification, the bill requires ballots to be assigned vote
tracking numbers and voters to be assigned voter identifier numbers. Voters are given both of these numbers and the secretary of state (secretary) publishes these numbers on a publicly accessible vetting transparency ledger and a publicly accessible ballot transparency ledger, respectively. The number of vote tracking numbers on the vetting transparency ledger must equal the number of voter identifier numbers on the ballot transparency ledger. After a ballot is cast, the secretary publishes the information on the ballot on a cast vote transparency ledger along with the corresponding vote tracking number. A voter may challenge the entry on the cast vote transparency ledger associated with their vote tracking number. The secretary shall maintain a challenged vote ledger and shall publish the status to challenges of entries on the cast vote transparency ledger on the challenged vote ledger.
For voter verification, the bill requires voters to provide the
secretary with the following no less than one month before an election in order to receive a mail ballot for that election:
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The voter's mailing address;
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A copy of the voter's relevant identification;
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Verification that the voter satisfies the necessary qualifications to register as a voter;
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A request to receive a mail ballot;
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Acknowledgment of the penalties for committing fraud in connection with casting a vote; and
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Verification that the voter is a human.
A voter can provide this information either on the secretary's website or in connection with the payment of a utility bill. Further, the bill:
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Prohibits the distribution of mail ballots more than 2 weeks before the relevant election;
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Requires the secretary, within 30 days after the effective date of the bill, to withdraw the state from participation in the electronic registration information system; and
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Requires the secretary to annually remove all registration information from the the statewide voter registration system and for that removal to be verified by an entity that is not a state agency.
For audit transparency, the bill requires the secretary to generate
for every election a number of randomly generated and assigned audit numbers (RAANs) equal to the amount of electors who voted in the previous election plus one percent. The secretary shall enter each RAAN it generates into a RAAN tracking database. The secretary must randomly assign and attach each RAAN to a ballot. After a ballot is cast:
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A voter may keep a copy of the RAAN associated with their ballot;
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The secretary shall enter the first 12 digits of a ballot's RAAN (partial RAAN) in the RAAN tracking database to ensure that the ballot's RAAN was one of the RAANs that the secretary generated for the election;
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The secretary shall scan the ballot; and •
The secretary shall enter the ballot's partial RAAN, along with the votes cast with that ballot, in a downloadable, searchable, and publicly accessible cast vote record database.
After inputting information for a ballot into the cast vote record database, the secretary shall verify that information against the scan of the ballot. An individual can challenge the information in the cast vote record database associated with a partial RAAN by presenting the complete RAAN to the secretary.
