Bill > H832

This bill amends Massachusetts election law by requiring that ballots be uniform in size, material, and content for all voters, regardless of whether they are voting on a ballot-marking device or using a paper ballot. The bill allows exceptions to this uniformity requirement only in specific circumstances: when necessary to comply with federal law, to accommodate voting or vote tabulation processes, or to support hand count methods. A key provision mandates that ballots must be tabulated directly from the actual voter-marked selections, prohibiting the use of barcodes, QR codes, or any other machine-readable codes that are not directly marked by the voter. This requirement aims to ensure transparency and accuracy in the vote-counting process by prioritizing the voter's original markings over machine-generated representations. The bill specifically modifies Section 44 of Chapter 54 of the Massachusetts General Laws, adding these new requirements to existing election regulations.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H832