TN HB0999

All ballots in Tennessee primary and general elections must contain a visible secure watermark as a security feature, with the coordinator of elections defining the specific method, type, and placement of the watermark

Ballot tabulation must be based on human-readable text or machine marks that clearly denote voter selections, prohibiting the use of QR codes, bar codes, or other machine coding for vote counting

All paper ballots must be scanned to create digital images at minimum 600 dots per inch resolution, then immediately placed in sealed, tamper-resistant containers with unique identifying numbers and documented chain of custody

Secretary of State must post scanned ballot images online by 5:00 p.m. on the second Friday following election day and administer a statewide audit program using optical character recognition technology

Effective date is July 1, 2025, applying to all ballots tabulated in elections conducted on or after that date