§ 19101 Voting System Standards

(a) The Secretary of State shall adopt and publish voting system standards and regulations governing the use of voting systems that meet the minimum requirements of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 21081 et seq.) and that incorporate best practices in election technology. The Secretary of State may require additional testing to ensure that voting systems meet the requirements of this code. (b) Voting system standards adopted by the Secretary of State pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following requirements: (1) The machine or device and its software shall be suitable for the purpose for which it is intended. (2) The system shall preserve the secrecy of the ballot. (3) The system shall be safe from fraud or manipulation. (4) The system shall be accessible to voters with disabilities pursuant to Section 19242 and applicable federal laws. (5) The system shall be accessible to voters who require assistance in a language other than English if the language is one in which a ballot or ballot materials are required to be made available to voters pursuant to Section 14201 and applicable federal laws. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 238, Sec. 9. (SB 851) Effective October 1, 2025.)