04/30/2004 08:43 AM House FIN

HOUSE BILL NO. 459                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     An Act requiring an auditable paper trail for                                                                              
     electronic voting machines; and providing for an                                                                           
     effective date.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HARRIS,  SPONSOR,  commented  that  the  bill                                                                   
relates to the national issue  of Florida's vote count during                                                                   
the  last  Presidential  election.  It  addresses  electronic                                                                   
voting  machines that  would  provide a  paper  trail in  the                                                                   
event that a  vote was disputed and needed  verification. The                                                                   
bill  would  also  provide  direction   to  the  Division  of                                                                   
Elections.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Stoltze asked  if the  new electronic  voting                                                                   
machines  are  American Disabilities  Act  (ADA)  technology.                                                                   
Representative Harris affirmed.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative Fate asked the  approximate useful life of the                                                                   
thermal copiers.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
TOM WRIGHT,  STAFF TO  REPRESENTATIVE  HARRIS, was unable  to                                                                   
answer and deferred to Ms. Glaiser.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
LAURA  GLAISER, DIRECTOR,  DIVISION OF  ELECTIONS, OFFICE  OF                                                                   
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR,  replied that it is all  new technology,                                                                   
and  still  in  the  research  and  development  phases.  The                                                                   
Division didn't  know the  life of  the systems. She  thought                                                                   
the concerns about jamming would be corrected.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Joule  commented on  the  close elections  in                                                                   
Alaska and thought that the bill  would clear up ambiguity by                                                                   
providing a paper trail.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Foster MOVED to  report CSHB 459(STA)  out of                                                                   
Committee   with    individual   recommendations    and   the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note.  There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSHB 459(STA) was REPORTED out  of Committee with a "do pass"                                                                   
recommendation  and one  previously  published fiscal  impact                                                                   
note.