S 297

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1S.297
2 Introduced by Senators Ram Hinsdale, Chittenden, Clarkson, Harrison, Lyons,
3Plunkett and White
4 Referred to Committee on
5 Date:
6 Subject: Elections; local elections; local elections using the Australian ballot
7system; electronic ballot return
8 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to authorize
9 municipalities to adopt a system for electronic ballot return for local elections
10 using the Australian ballot system.
11    An act relating to electronic ballot return in local elections
12 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
13 Sec. 1. 17 V.S.A. § 2680a is added to read:
14 § 2680a. ELECTRONIC BALLOT RETURN
15    (a) As used in this section:
16(1) “Electronic ballot return” means a system that allows a voter to use
17 electronic means to return a marked local election ballot to the clerk of the
18 municipality in which the voter is registered.
19(2) “Qualified electronic transmission system” means an electronic
20 transmission system that allows a voter to receive, mark, and return a ballot.
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1    (b) At an annual or special meeting called for the purpose of authorizing
2 electronic ballot return, a town, city, or incorporated village may vote to adopt
3 a system of electronic ballot return for its local elections held by Australian
4 ballot. A town, city, or incorporated village shall not use electronic ballot
5 return at the same election at which its voters decide that the system shall be
6 used.
7    (c) A town, city, or incorporated village that has adopted a system of
8 electronic ballot return may send to voters, and receive from voters, ballots
9 only by means of a qualified electronic transmission system.
10    (d) A qualified electronic transmission system shall offer and maintain
11 reasonable data security and voter integrity protections, including:
12(1) security auditability;
13(2) end-to-end encryption;
14(3) end-to-end verifiability;
15(4) dual-factor authentication; and
16(5) biometric or equivalent digital identity verification technologies.
17    (e) The clerk of a town, city, or incorporated village that has authorized
18 electronic ballot return shall ensure that each ballot received through a
19 qualified electronic transmission system is transcribed to an anonymous paper
20 ballot. The clerk shall secure, count, maintain, and store a transcribed ballot in
21 the same manner as any other ballot pursuant to chapter 51 of this title.
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1    (f) All information or data generated by a voter using a qualified electronic
2 transmission system shall be confidential and shall not be used for any purpose
3 other than aggregate voter participation statistics.
4    (g) The Secretary of State shall publish guidance documents concerning the
5 qualified electronic transmission systems available to municipalities, including
6 recommendations for minimum security standards, voter privacy standards,
7 auditability, and verification technology.
8 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
9    This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.
                                                                  VT LEG #385934 v.1