SB 1404 Summary

• Requires the Secretary of State to adopt regulations for manufacturing, finishing, and quality standards of ballot cards, with biennial inspections of facilities that manufacture, finish, and store ballot cards.

• Mandates ballot card manufacturers and finishers disclose known flaws or defects to the Secretary of State at least 5 days before inspection, and notify the Secretary and local elections officials within 2 business days of discovering defects after approval.

• Requires voting system vendors to disclose known defects, faults, or failures in hardware, software, or firmware in their applications to the Secretary of State and notify the Secretary of any problems discovered before or after approval.

• Directs the Secretary of State to notify and report defects, faults, or failures to the United States Election Assistance Commission.

• Authorizes the Secretary of State to seek civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation, refunds, and other relief for known but undisclosed defects in approved voting systems, with daily penalties of $1,000 for late disclosure.