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House updates ballot-security statute to reflect modern technologies and identifiers
Summary
House Bill 310 updated Idaho statute governing ballot design and security to allow contemporary techniques—unique identifiers, watermarks or holograms—and to remove references to obsolete equipment; bill passed with strong support and was described to county clerks and the secretary of state’s office in committee.
The Idaho House approved House Bill 310 on Feb. 26, updating election law provisions governing ballot security and format to reflect modern voting technologies and practices.
Representative from District 19, sponsor of HB310, told the House the statute being amended (cited on the floor as 34-9-01) had not been updated since 2013 and still mentioned older technology such as optical scanners. The bill modernizes statutory language to allow current practices including unique, random identifiers for ballots, and provides optional security measures such as watermarks or holograms. The sponsor said the changes do not require counties to change current practices but give an updated framework for counties that choose to adopt newer approaches.
Why it matters: Sponsors and county clerks said the bill provides a legal framework for practices already in use in some counties and offers standardized options to improve ballot security without imposing new costs on counties.
County clerks and the secretary of state’s office were consulted, the sponsor said, and three county clerks testified in committee in favor of the bill. The sponsor told the chamber that the bill “does not require any county clerk to change any of their current practices.”
Vote: The House passed HB310 by a vote of 67 ayes with 3 absent/excused.
What’s next: The bill was transmitted to the Senate. Sponsors said there were no new costs associated with the statutory update.
