HB2613

THE CONTEXT: The Secretary of State is charged with appointing a committee to investigate and test the various types of vote recording and vote tabulating machines that can be certified for use in federal, state and county elections. The committee submits its recommendations to the Secretary of State who makes the final adoption of which machines will be certified for use in this state.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would prohibit the Secretary of State from certifying a vote recording and vote tabulating machine used for elections for federal, state or county offices unless: a) 100% of all the machine's parts and components are sourced from the United States; and b) 100% of all the machine's manufacturing and assembly is performed in the United States and contains a delayed effective date of January 1st,.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to set a clear legal boundary for voting equipment instead of leaving the conduct unaddressed. It would prohibit the Secretary of State from certifying a vote recording and vote tabulating machine used for elections for federal, state or county offices unless: a) 100% of all the machine's parts and components are sourced from the United States; and b) 100% of all the machine's manufacturing and assembly is performed in the United States, and would also contains a delayed effective date of January 1st,, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.