Chapter 201
2015 -- S 0999 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 07/09/2015

A N   A C T
RELATING TO ELECTIONS-PURCHASE OF VOTING EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES

Introduced By: Senators Coyne, Paiva Weed, Gallo, Goldin, and Goodwin
Date Introduced: June 16, 2015

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     SECTION 1. Section 17-6-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-6 entitled "Secretary of
State" is hereby amended to read as follows:
     17-6-1. General powers and duties. -- (a) The secretary of state shall have those
functions, powers, and duties relating to elections that may be provided by this title or any other
law not inconsistent with this chapter. The secretary of state shall maintain a central roster of all
elected and appointed officers of the state, including for each officer the nature of the officer's
tenure and the date of expiration of the officer's term of office. The secretary of state shall
maintain a central register of all persons registered to vote in the several cities and towns and
shall add, amend, delete, and cancel any names appearing on the register as certified to the
secretary by the several local boards and by the state board.
      (b) The secretary of state may compile and publish a complete edition of the election
law, law which that the secretary shall make available to all election officials and candidates
upon request, request and without charge. The secretary of state shall receive and file certificates
of election results as provided by this title.
     (c) Notwithstanding any provisions of the general laws to the contrary, the office of the
secretary of state shall have the authority to submit and approve the specifications used by the
department of administration in procuring voting systems, voting system-related services, and
accessible voting equipment on behalf of the state.
     SECTION 2. Section 17-7-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-7 entitled "State Board of
Elections" is hereby amended to read as follows:
     17-7-5. Powers and duties -- Quorum. -- (a) The state board shall have those functions,
powers, and duties that are prescribed by this title or otherwise pursuant to law. In the exercise of
these functions, powers, and duties, but without limitation to them, the board shall:
      (1) Exercise general supervision of the administration of the election law by local
boards;
      (2) Furnish all binders, forms, cabinets, and other supplies required for the operation of
the system of permanent registration of voters throughout the state, as provided by this title;
      (3) Require the correction of voting lists by any local board whenever the state board has
information or cause to believe that any error exists in the lists, lists and shall immediately notify
the secretary of state of any corrections;
      (4) Have responsibility for supervising the vendor to the extent that services under the
jurisdiction of the state board are performed by the vendor as prescribed by § 17-19-3.
      (5)(4) Prepare, package, and deliver election supplies to the various cities and towns for
each voting district, except for supplies listed in this title for delivery by the office of the
secretary of state;
      (6)(5) (i) Appoint, qualify qualify, and assign all state inspectors of elections. The state
board of elections shall formulate programs of instruction and shall determine the method and
manner of instruction which that shall be provided to the local boards and to the vendor
providing training pursuant to any agreement between the state and the vendor for the training of
election officials. The program of instruction shall include familiarization with the election laws
and duties of various election officials, together with the exercise of sample situations which that
may be encountered in the process of voting, voting; geographical boundaries of the voting
district to which the official may be assigned, assigned; offices and questions which that may be
on the ballot, ballot; and any other information that the board of elections may deem appropriate.
The availability of these programs of instruction for local boards shall be pursuant to the
procedures, rules rules, and regulations adopted by the board of elections.
      (ii) The board of elections shall also formulate and provide an informational pamphlet
containing detailed instructions regarding the duties of elections officials and the operation of
polling places. All informational pamphlets shall be distributed to the local boards who that shall,
in turn, see to their distribution to all election officials prior to any election; election.
      (7)(6) Canvass and tabulate all votes cast at each state election; election and count,
canvass, and tabulate the votes cast by mail voters as provided in this title;
      (8)(7) Select dates for off year off-year and special election primaries, except the dates
for any primaries for local elections that require fixing by the local board pursuant to chapter 15
of this title;
      (9)(8) Furnish each elected candidate for all state or national offices a certificate of
election;
      (10)(9) Furnish the secretary of state with a certified statement of the number of votes
cast in each voting district for all state and national candidates, the votes cast for and against all
state questions which that appeared on the ballot, and a certificate of election for each national
candidate who is elected in this state, and furnish the governor with a certified list of the general
officers elected at each general election;
      (11)(10) Hold hearings relating to recounts or other protests of the results or conduct of
an election;
      (12)(11) Maintain any books and records of the votes cast, cast and publish any
statements and reports, reports that it may deem to be in the public interest;
      (13)(12) Arrange and make provisions for the registration of voters pursuant to the
National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993, 42 U.S.C. § 1973gg et seq. The state board
shall formulate programs to assist those persons or organizations desiring to register voters and
shall provide, pursuant to procedures, rules, and regulations it shall adopt, voter registrations
services which that may include training sessions, registration materials, manuals manuals, and
other services for the purpose of registering to vote eligible Rhode Island citizens;
      (14)(13) Annually conduct a voter registration drive at each institution of higher
education at the level of junior college or above in the state; and
      (15)(14) Establish and maintain an administrative complaint procedure in accordance
with Section 402 of the Help America Vote Act (P.L. 107-252) [42 U.S.C. § 15512].
      (b) The state board shall also have all of the powers and duties formerly conferred or
imposed by existing law upon the division of elections and the election board, and whenever in
any other general law, public law, act, or resolution of the general assembly, or any document,
record, or proceeding authorized by the general assembly, the phrase "division of elections" or
"election board" or any other word or words used in reference to or descriptive of the division,
board, or any member or employee of the division or board, or to their respective activities or
appointees, or any of them, the word, phrase, or reference shall, unless the context otherwise
requires, be deemed to refer to and describe the state board, its members, appointees, and
activities, as the context may require.
      (c) The state board shall have power to make any rules, regulations, and directives that it
deems necessary to carry out the objects and purposes of this title not inconsistent with law.
      (d) The state board shall also have jurisdiction over all election matters on appeal from
any local board and over any other matters pertinent and necessary to the proper supervision of
the election laws.
      (e) Four (4) members of the state board shall constitute a quorum.
      (f) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 42-35-18(b)(22), 42-35-18(b)(7), all rules and
regulations implementing and enforcing the provisions of the Help America Vote Act of 2002
(P.L. 107-252) [42 U.S.C. § 15301 et seq.]shall be promulgated in accordance with the rule-
making provisions contained in §§ 42-35-1 -- 42-35-8.
     SECTION 3. Sections 17-19-1, 17-19-2, 17-19-2.1, 17-19-3 and 17-19-8.2 of the General
Laws in Chapter 17-19 entitled "Conduct of Election and Voting Equipment, and Supplies" are
hereby amended to read as follows:
     17-19-1. Definitions. -- As used in this chapter, except as otherwise required by the
context:
      (1) "Computer ballot" means the paper ballot prepared by the office of the secretary of
state for use in conjunction with the optical scan precinct count system or the voting equipment
precinct count system then in place and procured in accordance with this chapter;
      (2) "Voting equipment" means an optical scan precinct count voting system or the voting
equipment precinct count system then in place and procured in accordance with this chapter,
related memory device, all related hardware and software, accessible voting systems required by
federal law, and voting booths;
      (3) "Warden" includes moderator; moderator and vice versa;
      (4) "Candidate" means any individual who has qualified under law to have his or her
name appear on the ballot for nomination for election or election to office;
      (5) "Write-in candidate" means any individual receiving votes or seeking election to
office by virtue of having irregular ballots cast for him or her pursuant to § 17-19-31;
      (6) "Public office" means any state, municipal, school school, or district office or other
position that is filled by popular election, except political party offices offices, offices which that
which shall mean any state, city, town, ward ward, or representative or senatorial district
committee office of a political party or delegate to a political party convention, or any similar
office; and
      (7) A "Vote" shall be any mark made with the appropriate marking device within the
optech ballot voting area between the head and tail of the arrow on the computer ballot next to the
party, candidate, write-in candidate candidate, or question, as is applicable, for whom the voter
casts his or her ballot, except as provided in § 17-20-24.
     17-19-2. Voting equipment. -- Subject to the provisions of this chapter, voting
equipment which that has been procured by the department of administration according to the
provisions of this chapter shall be used in all state, city, or town elections, including elections at
which amendments to the Constitution constitution of the state are submitted to the electors for
approval. Until such voting equipment is procured by the department of administration pursuant
to the specifications provided by the office of the secretary of state, voting equipment previously
acquired by the department of administration according to the provisions of this chapter in effect
at that time shall continue to be used in all state, city, or town elections, including elections at
which amendments to the constitution of the state are submitted to the electors for approval.
     17-19-2.1. New voting technology -- Declaration of purpose. -- New voting
technology. -- WHEREAS, mechanical lever voting machines have been in use in the state of
Rhode Island for more than fifty (50) years; and
      WHEREAS, voting machine technology has now advanced to the point where votes can
be cast and reliably recorded on optical scan precinct count voting systems; and
      WHEREAS, optical scan precinct count voting systems are now in use in various states
and have resulted in returning accurate and reliable voting results within a shorter period of time
than is possible through the use of mechanical lever machines; and
      WHEREAS, the general assembly finds that it is in the public interest to convert from
mechanical lever voting machines to an optical scan precinct count voting system;
      THEREFORE, the general assembly determines that an optical scan precinct count
voting system as described in § 17-19-3 shall be employed in elections held in the State of Rhode
Island beginning in 1997.
      The department of administration shall be responsible for the procurement of an optical
scan precinct count voting system and for the procurement of a full service contract as set forth in
§ 17-19-3. The specifics in the request for proposal shall be drafted by the department of
administration in consultation with the office of the secretary of state and the state board of
elections. The term of each contract shall be determined by the department of administration. The
procured system shall be revenue neutral in that, over the life of the contract, it may not cause the
state to incur more expense than would be expended under the mechanical lever system during a
similar period. The department of administration shall seek bids from vendors for the options of
purchasing, leasing to own and renting an optical scan precinct count voting system meeting the
requirements set forth in § 17-19-3, and for the full services of the vendor as set forth in § 17-19-
3. In the event the department of administration purchases new voting equipment and services in
accordance with § 17-19-3, then any reference in title 17 to optical scan equipment shall be
deemed to refer to the voting equipment then purchased, whether such voting equipment utilizes
optical scan technology or not.
     17-19-3. Voting equipment and services -- Specifications. [Effective January 1,
2015.] -- (a) The office of secretary of state and the state board of elections shall develop, from
time to time, and, in coordination with the general assembly for the purpose of funding
procurement, submit specifications to the department of administration, administration which
that the department of administration shall consult utilize in developing a request for a proposal,
as set forth in § 17-19-2.1 procuring voting equipment, voting systems, and services related
thereto in accordance with this chapter and chapter 2 of title 37 of the general laws. These
specifications must be submitted to the department of administration within thirty (30) days of the
passage of this bill. These specifications, and the request for a proposal and requests for proposals
for the options of purchasing, leasing to own, or renting an optical scan precinct count voting
system systems that utilize technologies, methods, and equipment considered reasonable best
practices for the state and in compliance with all laws, and for a full-service contract for an
optical scan precinct count such voting system systems, shall propose an optical scan precinct
count system that shall be constructed and shall operate in a manner that meets the following
minimum requirements:
      (1) It shall enable the voter to:
      (i) Mark his or her ballot and cast his or her vote in secrecy;
      (ii) Vote for all candidates of political parties or organizations, and for, or against,
questions as submitted;
      (iii) Vote for as many persons for an office as the voter is lawfully entitled to vote for,
but no more; and
      (iv) Vote on any question the voter may have the right to vote on;
      (2) It shall prevent the voter from voting for the same person more than once for the
same office;
      (3) The voting equipment shall allow the voter to cast one vote, thereby allowing the
voter to vote for all the presidential electors of a party by marking one mark on the ballot, and a
ballot containing only the words "presidential electors for," preceded by the name of that party
and followed by the names of the candidates of that party for the offices of president and vice-
president a clear and unambiguous means; provided, that means shall be furnished by which the
voter can cast a vote in part for the candidates for presidential electors of one party, and in part
for those of one or more other parties, or in part or in whole, for persons not nominated by any
party;
      (4) The optical scan precinct counting system shall meet the following specifications:
      (i) Vote counting, including absentee ballots, shall be performed through the use of
automated electronic equipment;
      (ii) All vote counting shall be performed on equipment supplied as part of the bid. The
system shall not require the use of non-supplied equipment to count ballots or tabulate results;
      (iii) There shall be privacy enclosures in which a voter may mark his or her ballot or
otherwise cast his or her vote in secret;
      (iv) There shall be a device located in each polling place that can record the vote count
and tally the vote count in that polling place and that can produce a printed tally of all races
contained on said ballot in human, readable form. The device shall automatically print a "zero
report" at the beginning of the day when the device is activated. The device that receives ballots
for counting shall have an external counter indicating the number of ballots received. The actual
vote tally shall be capable of being performed only by election officials and shall not be visible
during the actual voting process. Each recording device shall rest on a ballot box that must have
compartments with doors that lock for ensure the security of voted ballots and ease of access;
      (v) As part of the voting process, there shall be created a physical ballot showing the
votes cast by an individual voter that is capable of being hand counted so that electronic-
recorded-device recorded device totals can be checked for accuracy. The device must be able to
accept a one (1)-two (2)- or three (3)- column ballot that can be printed on one or both sides;
      (vi) There shall be a device at each polling place to receive the physical audit trail of
ballots cast and that shall securely store the ballots and have the capability of restricting access to
the ballots only to authorize officials;
      (vii) In the event of loss of electrical power, the polling place vote count shall be stored
on an ongoing basis in media that will retain the count of the votes cast to that point in time for a
period of no less than five (5) years;
      (viii) The polling place vote counts shall be stored on a stable media that may be easily
transported and that may be accessed and counted by an electronic device so that state, city,
and/or town vote totals can be electronically calculated by combining individual polling place
totals. It shall not be necessary to enter individual polling place totals by, and into, a central
computer or device for the purpose of producing the state, city, and/or town totals, but rather the
electronic media on which the polling place totals are stored shall be directly readable and
accessible by a regional or central device;
      (ix) There shall be a device that has the capability to electronically read the storage
device upon which the individual polling place totals are stored and that shall produce a
combined total for all races, which total can be printed in easily readable and legible form in a
format prescribed by the state board of elections;
      (x) The system provided shall allow the secretary of state to have the capability to design
the ballot format;
      (xi) The system shall provide a capability for the state, without the use of outside
services, to set up and prepare the counting devices to total an election; and
      (xii) The system must be capable of receiving voted ballots without counting when
without power and must provide for securely storing uncounted ballots;
      (5) The following minimum equipment shall be required for the state:
      (i) There shall be six hundred (600) a minimum number of units to permit counting to be
conducted in each polling place within the state with a reserve of equipment on hand;
      (ii) There shall be a sufficient voting booths to allow one number of voting booth booths
for approximately every one hundred seventy-five (175) each precinct to accommodate voters as
determined in this title;
      (iii) The number of polling place units and voting booths must be sufficient to permit the
election to run smoothly without excessive waiting of voters;
      (iv) If there is an increase in the number of polling places statewide during the term of
the contract, the vendor will supply additional polling place units and voting booths at a cost
proportional to the cost of the initial units pro rated for the balance of the agreement years;
      (v) (A) There shall be high-speed, absentee vote tabulating equipment. These tabulators,
as a whole, must be capable of counting a minimum of four hundred (400) absentee ballots per
minute absentee ballots at a reasonable best practices rate. The tabulators shall utilize the same
ballots used in the polling place;
      (B) This system shall have the following capabilities in connection with the counting of
ballots and producing results:
      (I) This system shall be able to read the media from the polling place units on which
polling place results are stored and shall be able to compile polling place results producing a
ballot total for each race; and
      (II) This system shall be capable of producing and printing out ballot totals on a polling-
place-by-polling-place basis for each race, and shall be capable of producing a final total and
subtotals of all races from all races and polling places in the state. All totals must be able to be
produced at any time, based upon the number of polling places counted up to that point in time,
and these printout results shall state the number of precincts counted and the percentage of
precincts reporting;
      (vi) There shall be all equipment necessary to program the system and erase the memory
devices;
      (vii) Regional Reasonable best-practices tabulating equipment shall be located in each
of the thirty-nine (39) local boards of canvassers and the central tabulation equipment shall be
located at the state board of elections. The state board of elections, in conjunction with the service
contract vendor, no less than thirty (30) days prior to an election, shall determine which regional
and/or central test the tabulation sites are system to be utilized for the election and determine
whether regional and/or central tabulation is adequate, and if regional tabulation is required, so
implement it. The tabulation system shall have the following capabilities in connection with the
counting of ballots and producing results:
      (A) This system shall be able to read the media from the polling place units on which
polling place results are stored and shall be able to compile polling place results producing a
ballot total for each race;
      (B) This system shall be capable of producing and printing out ballot totals on a polling-
place-by-polling-place basis for each race and shall be capable of producing a final total and
subtotal of all races from all races and polling places in the state;
      (C) All totals must be able to be produced at any time based upon the number of polling
places counted up to that point in time, and the printout results shall state the number of precincts
counted and the percentage of precincts reporting; and
      (D) This system shall be capable of transferring information gathered at each regional
site to the central site and shall also be capable of transferring information gathered at the central
site to a specific, regional site from the precincts and, if regional and/or central tabulation sites are
utilized, the system shall be capable of transferring information gathered at any regional or
central sites utilized by the thirty-nine (39) local boards of canvassers;
      (6) All necessary programming and accumulation software shall be provided to run the
election system in accordance with the required specifications as well as all necessary and
required modules. Any software updates during the term of the agreement shall not be charged to
the state;
      (7) The vendor of the optical scan precinct count system shall provide written proof of
compliance with Federal Election Commission federal standards then in place and administered
by the designated federal agency or organization from an independent testing company and this
written proof must be on file with the office of the secretary of state and the state board of
elections;
      (8) The vendor shall also provide the following information to be included in the
vendor's bid proposal:
      (i) (A) An audited financial statement covering the previous five (5) years, and if the
vendor is not the manufacturer of the equipment, both the agent and manufacturer must submit an
audited financial statement covering the previous five (5) years with the bid;
      (B) In the event that either the vendor, agent, or manufacturer has been in existence for
less than five (5) years, that entity must submit an audited financial statement for each and every
full year that they have been in existence;
      (ii) Proof of experience in the field of elections including, but not limited to, years of
experience in this field and experience with a jurisdiction having the same needs as the state of
Rhode Island; and
      (iii) Names and addresses of the support organizations that will provide support of all
equipment.
      (b) The full service full-service plan shall include the following services, but, at the
discretion of the department of administration office of the secretary of state, shall not be limited
to the following services:
      (1) Computer coding and layout of all ballots to be used in each election under contract,
in conjunction with, the office of the secretary of state, including the printing of the ballot and the
preparation of the ballot-reading device to ensure that the ballots are compatible with the ballot-
reading device. Subsequent thereto, the state board of elections shall be responsible for the
following:
      (2) Testing of each unit for logic and accuracy;
      (3) Testing of each programmed memory cartridge device;
      (4) Set up of each optical-scan precinct count precinct-count unit at each polling place;
      (5) Maintenance of all optical precinct count precinct-count units;
      (6) Training of poll workers;
      (7) On-site election night staff at the central tabulation location and any other locations
as may be determined by the state board to receive and transmit election results;
      (8) On-site election day field technicians to respond to repair calls;
      (9) Providing the following equipment and supplies:
      (i) Secrecy covers for voted ballots;
      (ii) Demonstration ballots;
      (iii) Precision-cut shell program ballots ready for printing with timing marks;
      (iv) Marking pens;
      (v) Ballot transfer cases;
      (vi) Envelopes for mailing and receiving absentee ballots; and
      (vii) Printer ribbons, paper tape rolls, and seals.
      (c) Any bid specifications proposal by an offeror for an optical scan a precinct count
system and a full-service agreement for an optical-scan a precinct count precinct-count system
that do does not conform in all respects to the requirements of subdivisions (a)(1) -- (b)(9)(vii) of
this section shall not be submitted to the office of the department of administration; provided, that
the director of administration may waive any one of the requirements with respect to the full
service agreement portion of the bid, after consultation with the chairperson of the state board of
elections and the secretary of state, in order to preserve an otherwise acceptable bid may be
accepted by the office of the secretary of state with the consent of the department of
administration. The office of the secretary of state shall memorialize the acceptance of any bid
proposal that does not conform with the requirements of subsections (a)(1) - (b)(9)(vii) of this
section in each instance of such non-conformance.
      (d) Upon expiration of the initial full service agreement as set forth in the provisions of §
17-19-2.1, the The office of the secretary of state board periodically shall conduct a review of the
election system, provide a report to the general assembly, and shall subsequently assume
responsibility be responsible for establishing minimum requirements and specifications for the
procurement of voting equipment and services.
     17-19-8.2. State-of-the-art voting technology. -- (a) Given the development of the
necessary state-of-the-art technology and the potential availability of federal funds, the secretary
of state, as mandated by § 17-19-8.1, shall expand the special ballot service to as wide a range of
voters with disabilities as possible. Accordingly, the secretary of state shall begin the process for
the purchase of state-of-the-art voting equipment which can accommodate not only voters who
are blind or visually impaired but also persons with other disabilities and afford all voters who are
blind, visually impaired or disabled the opportunity to cast their ballot independently.
      (b) The ballot for the new voting equipment must be created from the same database
used to create the ballot for the state's current optical scan precinct count system. Votes cast on
the new voting equipment must be capable of being integrated into the state's current optical scan
precinct count system by the board of elections. Duties and responsibilities with respect to ballot
creation and preparation and maintenance of the integrated voting equipment would be delegated
to the secretary of state and the state board of elections in substantially the same manner as
outlined in § 17-19-3(b).
      (c) Funding for the procurement of this technology for each polling place shall be
through federal funds appropriated to the state of Rhode Island pursuant to election reform
legislation adopted by Congress in 2002. The office of the secretary of state when implementing
the provisions of § 17-19-3 shall specify to the extent reasonably available state-of-the-art voting
equipment that can accommodate voters who are blind, visually impaired, or are otherwise
disabled, in order to afford all voters, regardless of abilities, an opportunity to cast their ballot
privately and independently.
     SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC002893/SUB A
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