BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1929 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 25, 2012 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair AB 1929 (Gorell) - As Amended: May 21, 2012 Policy Committee: ElectionsVote:6-0 Urgency: Yes State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: SUMMARY This bill establishes procedures to review and approve the use of "ballot marking systems" for use in California elections only by special absentee (military and overseas) voters. Specifically, this bill: 1)Defines a ballot marking system as a device used for the sole purpose of marking a ballot, that is not connected to any voting system, does not store voter identifiable selections, and does not have the capability to tabulate votes. 2)Establishes procedures for Secretary of State (SOS) review and approval of ballot marking systems that are substantially similar to current requirements for SOS review and approval of voting systems. FISCAL EFFECT Costs for the SOS to review and approve ballot marking systems will be paid by each vendor seeking approval of their respective system. COMMENTS 1)Purpose . This bill is sponsored by Democracy Live, a private company that states it has developed an onscreen ballot marking device that allows a voter to electronically mark his or her ballot. The information marked on the voter's ballot is then temporarily captured and stored to allow for the transfer of information to be formatted onto a portable document format (pdf) that the voter may print out and mail or fax to their county elections official. After the voter has printed his or AB 1929 Page 2 her ballot, the information temporarily stored by Democracy Live is then purged. The author and sponsors argue this system will help facilitate military and overseas voters by allowing them to more quickly obtain a ballot specific to the precinct in which they reside and clearly and concisely mark their ballot. A system like this is currently not allowed for use in California elections. 2)Related Legislation . AB 1805 (Huffman), pending on this committee's Suspense File, establishes policies and procedures for military and overseas voters in compliance with the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act and consistent with the Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act. Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081