SPONSOR: Carpenter
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Elections and Elected Officials by a vote of 7 to 0. Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Rules- Legislative Oversight by a vote of 9 to 1.
This bill repeals an existing law preventing a voter from allowing his or her ballot to be seen by another individual with the intent of showing how he or she voted. It also creates a class one election offense for coercing or forcing a voter to vote in a certain manner and to take a ballot picture in order to verify their vote.
This bill is the same as HCS HB 656 (2019).
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that the bill will allow "ballot selfies" that are not taken with illegitimate intent, but prevent actual vote selling or fraud.
Testifying for the bill was Representative Carpenter.
OPPONENTS: There was no opposition voiced to the committee.
Statutes affected: