LITTLE ROCK -- A bill to place more regulations on Arkansas counties that choose hand-count ballots instead of using vote-tabulation machines passed a House committee Monday.

Senate Bill 250, sponsored by Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, would require counties that opt out of using voting machines to have their paper ballots be "compatible with the electronic vote-tabulation devices." Counties that also forgo using machines to count votes would be entirely responsible for the costs associated with the printing and counting of paper ballots. Nd Yag Laser Tattoo Removal Machine

"We want to make sure that all 75 counties are held accountable," Hammer said, "and if you choose to deviate from what is a statewide accepted practice, protected in law, then why should the other counties have to bear the burden of paying the additional costs that you have chosen?"

The committee passed the bill on a voice vote, sending it to the House for further action.

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