TN SB1028

All ballots in Tennessee primary and general elections must contain a visible secure watermark approved by the coordinator of elections, with the watermark easily discernible by counting boards for verification purposes

Ballot tabulation must be based on human-readable text or machine marks that clearly denote voter selections; QR codes, bar codes, and other machine coding are prohibited from being used to tabulate voter selections

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

The Secretary of State must post scanned ballot images (minimum 200 dpi) on its website by 5:00 p.m. on the second Friday following election day for ballots requested for audit review

A statewide audit program using optical character recognition technology must verify human-readable ballot text and produce a report prior to final election certification; effective July 1, 2025