Comment by U.S. Public Policy Committee of the Association for Computing Machinery (USACM) (None)

USACM Comment #22. 4.4.3-A.1 Printing PCOS Print Area Restriction [incomplete] USACM recommends replacing the existing wording in subsection 4.4.3-A.1 with the following: Optical scanners with printing capabilities that add markings to paper ballots as they are scanned SHALL ONLY permit printing in spaces designated on the ballots for that purpose. They SHALL NOT be capable of altering the contents of the human-readable CVR on the ballot. Specifically, optical scanners capable of adding markings to the scanned ballots SHALL NOT permit: a. Marking in the regions of the ballot that indicate voter choices; b. Marking in the regions of the ballot that contain the human-readable description of the marked choice; and c. Marking in regions reserved for timing marks. d. Marking in regions reserved for any other purpose. e. Marking in regions not designated for any purpose. DISCUSSION: The present verbiage may allow stray marks or marking in areas designated for other purposes. The proposed wording clarifies and strengthens protection against overwriting by optical scanner/printer markings.