The initiative, said Bowen's office in a release, amends the definition of "ballot" to confirm that votes on a direct-recording electronic device must result in a paper or other tangible ballot. It also eliminates the touchscreen on a direct-recording electronic device from the definition of "ballot," and expands the definition of "ballot" to include physical objects that may be indelibly marked by voters' physical action and are susceptible to counting through use of ordinary physical senses.
The initiative would not prohibit use of legally approved methods of voting or vote counting, so long as tangible physical objects result. If approved, one-time costs could run in the tens of millions of dollars to replace or alter voting equipment, according to the release.
