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Colorado > Colorado Electoral Code > Notice Of And Preparation For Elections

1-5-802. Use of voting systems – voter-verified paper record

Overview of Statute

The voting system used in each primary, general, coordinated, or congressional district vacancy election held in the state shall have the capability to produce a voter-verifiable paper record of each elector’s vote.

Statute

(1) In addition to the other requirements of this article, the voting system used in each primary, general, coordinated, or congressional district vacancy election held in the state on and after January 1, 2010, shall have the capability to produce a voter-verifiable paper record of each elector’s vote. Before an elector’s vote is cast, the elector shall have the opportunity, in private and without assistance, to inspect and verify that the voter-verified paper record correctly reflects the elector’s choices. Any political subdivision that has not complied with the provisions of this section on or before January 1, 2009, shall comply with such provisions by January 1, 2014.

(2) The requirements of subsection (1) of this section shall apply to each primary, general, coordinated, or congressional district vacancy election conducted by a county clerk and recorder on and after January 1, 2008, if the governing body of the county determines that:

(a) The technology necessary to comply with the requirements of subsection (1) of this section is available; and

(b) (I) Sufficient federal or state funds are available to acquire or retrofit voting devices that comply with the requirements of subsection (1) of this section; or

(II) It is otherwise financially feasible for the county to comply with the requirements of subsection (1) of this section.

(3) Upon satisfaction by a county of the requirements of this section, the voter-verified paper record of each eligible elector’s vote, whether filled out by hand or produced by a voting machine or ballot marking device, shall be preserved as an election record pursuant to section 1-7-802 and shall constitute an official record of the election.

(4) No voting device shall be remotely accessed or remotely accessible until after the close of voting and a results total tape has been printed, as applicable.

Source: L. 2005: Entire part added, p. 1403, § 22, effective June 6; entire part added, p. 1438, § 22, effective June 6.L. 2009: (1) amended, (HB 09-1335), ch. 260, p. 1194, § 10, effective May 15.

Annotation: June 16, 2016 8:08 pm

“Voting system” as defined in section 1-1-104(50.8), C.R.S., means:
(a) The total combination of mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic equipment (including the software, firmware, and documentation required to program, control, and support the equipment) that is used to:
(1)Define ballots;
(2) Cast and count votes;
(3) Report or display election results; and
(4) Maintain and produce any audit trail information.
(b) The practices and associated documentation used to:
(1) Identify system components and versions of such components;
(2) Test the system during its development and maintenance;
(3) Maintain records of system errors and defects;
(4)Determine specific system changes to be made to a system after the initial qualification of the system; and
(5) Make available any materials to the voter (such as notices, instructions, forms, or paper ballots).
(c) “Voting system” does not include any other component of election administration, such as voter registration applications or systems, electronic pollbooks, ballot delivery and retrieval systems, signature verification and envelope sorting devices, ballot on demand printers, election night reporting and other election reporting systems, and other components used throughout the election process that do not capture and tabulate votes.

Annotation: June 10, 2016 3:39 pm

The rules define “ballot marking device (BMD)” as a device that may integrate components such as an optical scanner, printer, touch-screen monitor, audio output, and a navigational keypad and uses electronic technology to:
(a) Mark a paper ballot at voter direction;
(b) Interpret the ballot selections;
(c)Communicate the interpretation for voter verification; and
(d)Print a voter-verifiable ballot.

Definition [Ballot marking device]

A device that allows an elector to mark a ballot card used in an electromechanical voting system and that meets the standards in section 1-5-704(1)(o). C.R.S. § 1-5-702.

Definition [Political subdivision]

A governing subdivision of the state, including counties, municipalities, school districts, and special districts. C.R.S. § 1-7.5-103.

Definition [State]

A state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. C.R.S. § 1-8.3-102.

Definition [Ballot]

(a) A federal write-in absentee ballot;

(b) A ballot specifically prepared or distributed for use by a covered voter in accordance with this article; or

(c) A ballot cast by a covered voter in accordance with this article.

(2) “Covered voter” means:

(a) A uniformed-service voter defined in paragraph (a) of subsection (9) of this section who is a resident of this state but who is absent from this state by reason of active duty and who otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements;

(b) An overseas voter who, before leaving the United States, was last eligible to vote in this state and, except for a state residency requirement, otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements;

(c) An overseas voter who, before leaving the United States, would have been last eligible to vote in this state had the voter then been of voting age and, except for a state residency requirement, otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements; or

(d) An overseas voter who was born outside the United States, is not described in paragraph (b) or (c) of this subsection (2), and, except for a state residency requirement, otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements if the last place where a parent, legal guardian, spouse, or civil union partner of the voter was, or under this article would have been, eligible to vote before leaving the United States is within this state.

C.R.S. § 1-8.3-102.

Definition [Section]

A bound compilation of initiative forms approved by the secretary of state, which shall include pages that contain the warning required by section 1-40-110 (1), the ballot title, the abstract required by section 1-40-110 (3), and a copy of the proposed measure; succeeding pages that contain the warning, the ballot title, and ruled lines numbered consecutively for registered electors’ signatures; and a final page that contains the affidavit required by section 1-40-111 (2). Each section shall be consecutively prenumbered by the petitioner prior to circulation.

Definition [Election]

Any election under the “Uniform Election Code of 1992” or the “Colorado Municipal Election Code of 1965”, article 10 of title 31, C.R.S. C.R.S. § 1-7.5-103.

Regulations & Guidance