BILL NUMBER: S616

SPONSOR: BOYLE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the election law, in relation to publicly releasing
ballot images

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This legislation would require the Board of Elections to make the images
of ballots available for public scrutiny

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Adds a new section to the election law § 7-131.

Section 2.  Effective Date

 
JUSTIFICATION:
              

The purpose of this bill will allow the public to view ballot images,
not the actual ballot, to ensure that votes are properly counted.
Ballot transparency is necessary to protect the sanctity of the vote.
Electronic scanners already take photographic images of the ballots as
each ballot is counted. However, these machines can make mistakes if
citizens do not fill out the ballot as directed. Most importantly, this
bill would not allow the original ballots to be shared or handled by the
public and it would conceal the identity of all voters.

Candidates and citizens can feel confident each vote is appropriately
accounted for by allowing the ballot images to be open for inspection.
In close elections, the few stray votes that are miscounted by the elec-
tronic scanner may change the outcome of an election.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

01/04/17 REFERRED TO ELECTIONS
01/03/18 REFERRED TO ELECTIONS

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Minimal to the state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.