Senate Bill No. introduced by T. Manzella aims to revise election laws in Montana by implementing new requirements for the testing and retention of voting systems. The bill mandates that election administrators conduct a test of a new voting system to verify its functionality whenever it is acquired or altered, including after software updates or hardware changes. Additionally, it requires that audit logs and cast vote records from voting systems capable of producing such records be retained indefinitely as public records, ensuring transparency and accountability in the electoral process.

The bill also amends existing laws regarding the retention of ballots and election materials. It specifies that voted ballots and related materials must be kept for 12 months for non-federal elections and 22 months for federal elections. However, it introduces a significant change by stating that counties using vote-counting machines must retain audit logs and cast vote records in perpetuity. This shift emphasizes the importance of maintaining comprehensive records to uphold the integrity of elections and allows for greater public access to election-related information.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_1(1): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_1(2): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_1(3): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_1(4): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_1(5): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_1(6): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_1: 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_2(1): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_2(2): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_2(3): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_2(4): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_2(5): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_2(6): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_2(7): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_2(8): 13-1-303, 13-15-206
SB0494_2: 13-1-303, 13-15-206