Elections: casting ballots.

Existing law provides for the conduct of elections generally. Existing law prohibits the use of a voting system for an election unless it has been approved as meeting specified criteria by the Secretary of State prior to the election. Existing law defines a voting system as any mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic system and its software, or any combination of these used to cast or tabulate votes, or both. This bill would exempt from the definition of a "voting system" a ballot marking system. The bill would define a ballot marking system to mean a mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic system and its software that is used for the sole purpose of marking a ballot for a special absentee voter and that is not connected to a voting system at any time. The bill would require the Secretary of State to study and adopt regulations governing the use of ballot marking systems. The bill would establish procedures to govern the approval of ballot marking systems by the Secretary of State. The bill would prohibit the use of a ballot marking system at an election until it has been approved by the Secretary of State as meeting prescribed criteria. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.