HOUSE BILL 98

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Tomás E. Salazar and Daniel A. Ivey-Soto

AN ACT

RELATING TO ELECTIONS; REQUIRING THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES BY WHICH BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED VOTERS MAY INDEPENDENTLY MARK THEIR BALLOTS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 1-9-7.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2005, Chapter 270, Section 56, as amended) is amended to read:

     "1-9-7.1. VOTING SYSTEM--USE OF PAPER BALLOT--ACCESS FOR BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED VOTERS.--

          A. All voting systems used in elections covered by the Election Code shall use a paper ballot on which the voter physically or electronically marks the voter's choices on the ballot itself.

          B. The secretary of state shall purchase the paper ballots for all counties to use for primary and general elections. If a system designed to print ballots at a polling location is certified and the voting system certification committee finds that its use in a polling place would result in cost savings, the secretary of state shall acquire such systems and paper ballot stock in lieu of fully preprinted paper ballots for those polling places where cost savings would be realized.

          C. The paper ballot shall be used in a recount proceeding, and in case of a discrepancy, the paper ballot shall be considered the true and correct record of the voter's choices.

          D. The secretary of state shall establish by rule procedures to enable blind or visually impaired voters to independently mark a paper ballot using nonvisual access or low vision access technology, whether voting in a polling place or by absentee ballot."

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