The bill introduced on February 25, 2025, aims to amend the Code of West Virginia by adding a new section, 3-4A-27a, which focuses on the preservation of voting data from electronic voting machines, specifically the Express Vote system. The new provisions require counties to enable ballot tabulator functionality to capture ballot images, ensuring that these images and cast vote records do not contain any personally identifying information about voters. Additionally, the cast vote record must include a date stamp indicating when the votes were cast, and county election officials are mandated to provide the Secretary of State with organized electronic records of the cast votes and ballot images after the election results are declared.

Furthermore, the bill stipulates that the Secretary of State must publish the cast vote records and ballot images within 24 hours of receiving them from the counties, making this information publicly accessible on a designated website. The term "cast vote record" is defined within the bill as a summary report generated by the voting system software that details each vote cast in the jurisdiction. Overall, the legislation aims to enhance transparency and accountability in the electoral process by ensuring the proper collection and preservation of voting data.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 3-4A-27a