Montana Code 13-3-208. Voter interface device availability
13-3-208. Voter interface device availability. (1) The intent of this section is to:
Terms Used In Montana Code 13-3-208
- Accessible: means accessible to individuals with disabilities for purposes of voting as determined in accordance with standards established by the secretary of state under 13-3-205. See Montana Code 13-3-202
- Ballot: means a paper ballot counted manually or a paper ballot counted by a machine, such as an optical scan system or other technology that automatically tabulates votes cast by processing the paper ballots. See Montana Code 13-1-101
- Election: means a general, special, or primary election held pursuant to the requirements of state law, regardless of the time or purpose. See Montana Code 13-1-101
- Election administrator: means , except as provided in subsection (14)(b), the county clerk and recorder or the individual designated by a county governing body to be responsible for all election administration duties, except that with regard to school elections not administered by the county, the term means the school district clerk. See Montana Code 13-1-101
- Elector: means an individual qualified to vote under state law. See Montana Code 13-1-101
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
- system: means any machine, device, technology, or equipment used to automatically record, tabulate, or process the vote of an elector cast on a paper ballot. See Montana Code 13-1-101
- Voter interface device: means a voting system that:
(a)is accessible to electors with disabilities;
(b)communicates voting instructions and ballot information to a voter;
(c)allows the voter to select and vote for candidates and issues and to verify and change selections; and
(d)produces a paper ballot that displays electors' choices so the elector can confirm the ballot's accuracy and that may be manually counted. See Montana Code 13-1-101
(a)ensure that disabled electors have access to voting technology that allows the electors to cast ballots independently, privately, and securely;
(b)provide that votes cast using accessible voting technology are collected and counted in a manner that preserves secrecy; and
(c)comply with applicable federal and state law concerning accessibility for disabled electors.
(2)(a) Except as provided in subsection (2)(c):
(i)the election administrator shall ensure that at least one voter interface device is available at each polling place; and
(ii)in a mail ballot election, the election administrator shall ensure that voter interface devices are available at locations appropriate to provide accessibility for disabled electors.
(b)Each voter interface device must be set up and located in a manner that allows any elector using the device to cast a ballot independently and privately, including the provision of accommodations to provide a physical barrier or other method to ensure that the screen of the device is blocked from the view of others.
(c)A voter interface device is not required:
(i)if there are fewer than 200 registered electors eligible to vote in the election; or
(ii)for an irrigation district election.
(3)Subject to subsection (4):
(a)votes on a ballot produced by a voter interface device may be counted manually or using an automatic tabulating system;
(b)ballots counted manually must be counted in accordance with 13-15-206; and
(c)if ballots produced by a voter interface device cannot be processed through an automatic tabulator used in the county and the election administrator does not provide for the ballots to be counted manually, the election administrator may provide for the votes on each ballot produced by the device to be transcribed to the standard ballot form used in the precinct so that the ballots may be processed through an automatic tabulator used in the county.
(4)(a) If the voter interface device produces a ballot form that is distinguishable from the standard ballot form used in the precinct, the county election administrator shall take measures to protect the secrecy of the votes cast by an elector using the device.
(b)Measures to ensure secrecy may provide that votes on a ballot produced by the voter interface device are transcribed to the standard ballot form used in the precinct so that the ballots are indistinguishable from and counted with the other ballots.
(c)Measures must also include encouraging a portion of the nondisabled electors to use the device to cast their ballot.
(5)Any transcription of votes conducted pursuant to this section must be conducted in secret by at least three election officials in substantially the same manner as provided for in 13-13-246.