SB 149 Summary

• Counties and municipalities may purchase or lease electronic poll books certified by the Secretary of State and continue using them until adopting a different certified electronic poll book.

• The Secretary of State cannot decertify an electronic poll book within nine years of purchase or lease unless it fails to meet certification criteria, with decertifications based on other grounds requiring 12 months' notice to the county.

• Electronic poll books must meet ten specific criteria including security, compatibility with voter registration systems, data recovery procedures, voter check-in functionality, and retention of voter data in electronic format.

• Training and travel expenses for absentee election managers (when the clerk declines the role) are reimbursable as election expenses, approved by the county commission.

• Costs incurred by counties for electronic poll books—including purchase, lease, equipment, software updates, maintenance, and population of voter data—are reimbursable election expenses under Article 1, Chapter 16.