VT S0297

Municipalities may vote at annual or special meetings to adopt electronic ballot return systems for local Australian ballot elections, but cannot use the system at the same election where adoption is decided

Qualified electronic transmission systems must include security auditability, end-to-end encryption, end-to-end verifiability, dual-factor authentication, and biometric or equivalent digital identity verification

Municipal clerks must transcribe each electronically returned ballot to an anonymous paper ballot, which is then secured, counted, and stored like any other ballot

All voter data generated through the electronic system is confidential and may only be used for aggregate voter participation statistics

Secretary of State must publish guidance on available systems, including minimum security standards, voter privacy standards, and verification technology; effective July 1, 2026