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HomeElections CodeDiv. 19Ch. 3Art. 1§ 19202 Voting System Certification Requirements

§ 19202 Voting System Certification Requirements

Elections Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 19202 Voting System Certification Requirements

This law says a voting machine can only be used in an election if the Secretary of State has certified or conditionally approved it first.

Key Takeaways

  • •Voting systems must be certified or conditionally approved by the Secretary of State before any election.
  • •Systems approved before Jan 1 2014 are automatically considered certified, but can still be reviewed or decertified later.
  • •A county can’t buy a system unless it’s certified, except for research or limited pilot projects using open‑source code.

Example

A county wants to buy new voting machines for the next election.

Before the county can purchase the machines, it must get a certification or conditional approval from the Secretary of State. If the county is only doing research on a new machine with open‑source code, it can pay for that research without the certification first.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 19202 Voting System Certification Requirements

(a) Except as authorized by Section 19209, a voting system, in whole or in part, shall not be used unless it has been certified or conditionally approved by the Secretary of State prior to any election at which it is to be used. (b) A voting system that has been tested and approved for use in all elections by the Secretary of State before January 1, 2014, shall be deemed certified or conditionally approved by the Secretary of State and may be used in an election subject to any conditions placed on the use of the voting system by the Secretary of State before January 1, 2014, including conditions imposed in the reapproval documents issued by the Secretary of State in 2007 and 2008 following the Top-to-Bottom Review, and its subsequent revisions. The voting systems described in this subdivision shall remain subject to review and decertification by the Secretary of State at any time pursuant to Section 19232. (c) A vendor or county, upon obtaining federal qualification on or before April 28, 2016, may request approval of the voting system from the Secretary of State based on the examination and review requirements in place before January 1, 2014. (d) A jurisdiction shall not purchase or contract for a voting system unless it has been certified or conditionally approved by the Secretary of State. (e) Notwithstanding subdivision (d), a local jurisdiction may contract and pay for the following: (1) Research and development of a new voting system that has not been certified or conditionally approved by the Secretary of State and uses only nonproprietary software and firmware with disclosed source code, except for unmodified commercial off-the-shelf software and firmware, as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 19209. (2) Manufacture of the minimum number of voting system units reasonably necessary for either of the following purposes: (A) To test and seek certification or conditional approval of the voting system pursuant to Sections 19210 to 19214, inclusive. (B) To test and demonstrate the capabilities of the voting system in a pilot program pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of, and subdivision (c) of, Section 19209. (Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 422, Sec. 81. (AB 2911) Effective January 1, 2017.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

voting systemcertified or conditionally approvedSecretary of StateSection 19209

Related Statutes

  • § 19207 Election Voting System Approval
  • § 19200 Voting System Approval Requirements
  • § 19201 Voting System Conditional Approval
  • § 19203 Voting System Paper Requirements
  • § 19204 Voter Ballot Copy Prohibition

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 19202.
View Official Source