State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > California > Elec > 19100-19103ELECTIONS CODE
SECTION 19100-19103
19100. The Secretary of State shall study and adopt regulations governing the use of voting machines, voting devices, and vote tabulating devices. 19101. The Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Elections and Reapportionment and the Chairperson of the Assembly Standing Committee on Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments shall meet with the Secretary of State and assist the Secretary of State to the extent that the participation is not incompatible with their positions as Members of the Legislature. For the purposes of this division, the chairpersons of the committees named shall constitute a joint interim legislative committee on the subject of this chapter and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 19200) and shall have the powers and duties imposed upon those committees by the Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly. 19102. The Secretary of State may investigate any alleged violation of this code or the Secretary of State's regulations with the power to subpoena all necessary persons and records. 19103. (a) No later than 10 business days after the Secretary of State approves the use of a new or updated voting system, the vendor of the voting system shall cause an exact copy of the approved source code for each component of the voting system, including complete build and configuration instructions and related documents for compiling the source code into object code, to be transferred directly from the United States Election Assistance Commission or the voting system testing laboratory, which evaluated the voting system and is accredited by the United States Election Assistance Commission, and deposited into an approved escrow facility. (b) The Secretary of State shall adopt regulations relating to all of the following: (1) The definition of source code components of a voting system, including source code for all firmware and software of the voting system. Firmware and software shall include commercial off-the-shelf or other third-party firmware and software that is available and able to be disclosed by the vendor of the voting system. (2) Specifications for the escrow facility, including security and environmental specifications necessary for the preservation of the voting system source codes. (3) Procedures for submitting voting system source codes. (4) Criteria for access to voting system source codes. (5) Requirements for the vendor to include in the materials deposited in escrow build and configuration instructions and documents so that a neutral third party may create, from the source codes in escrow, executable object codes identical to the code installed on approved voting systems. (c) The Secretary of State shall have reasonable access to the materials placed in escrow, under the following circumstances: (1) In the course of an investigation or prosecution regarding vote counting equipment or procedures. (2) Upon a finding by the Secretary of State that an escrow facility or escrow company is unable or unwilling to maintain materials in escrow in compliance with this section. (3) In order to fulfill the provisions of this chapter related to the examination and approval of voting systems. (4) In order to verify that the software on a voting system, voting machine, or vote tabulating device is identical to the approved version. (5) For any other purpose deemed necessary to fulfill the provisions of this code or Section 12172.5 of the Government Code. (d) The Secretary of State may seek injunctive relief requiring the elections officials, approved escrow facility, or any vendor or manufacturer of a voting machine, voting system, or vote tabulating device, to comply with this section and related regulations. Venue for a proceeding under this section shall be exclusively in Sacramento County. (e) This section applies to all elections.
