BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2373

By: Klick

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that auditing all of the records generated by an election, including the poll book, is very time consuming, especially in larger jurisdictions. The parties suggest that modern technology is capable of capturing a voter's signature, automatically generating an accurate count of voter signatures at the end of an election day, and making the post-election audit phase more efficient. H.B. 2373 seeks to authorize the use of a signature roster at a polling place to be in the form of an approved electronic device.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the secretary of state in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2373 amends the Election Code to authorize the signature roster maintained by an election officer at a polling place to be in the form of an electronic device approved by the secretary of state that is capable of capturing a voter's signature next to the voter's name on the device. The bill requires the secretary of state to adopt rules governing the processing of electronic signatures captured by the device.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.