Pennsylvania Statutes Title 25 P.S. Elections & Electoral Districts § 3006. Examination and approval of voting machines by the Secretary of the Commonwealth

(a) Any person or corporation owning, manufacturing or selling, or being interested in the manufacture or sale of, any voting machine, may request the Secretary of the Commonwealth to examine the machine. Any ten or more persons, being qualified electors of this Commonwealth, may, at any time, request the Secretary of the Commonwealth to reexamine any voting machine theretofore examined and approved by him. Before any such examination or reexamination, the person, persons, or corporation, requesting such examination or reexamination, shall pay to the treasurer of the Commonwealth an examination fee of four hundred and fifty dollars ($450). The Secretary of the Commonwealth may, at any time, in his discretion, reexamine any voting machine.

(b) The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall thereupon require such machine to be examined or reexamined by three examiners, whom he shall appoint for the purpose, of whom one shall be an expert in patent law, and the other two shall be experts in mechanics, and shall require of them a written report on such machine, attested by their signatures; and the Secretary of the Commonwealth himself shall examine the machine, and shall make and file in his office, together with the reports of the examiners appointed by him, his own report, attested by his signature and the seal of his office, stating whether, in his opinion and in consideration of the reports of the examiners aforesaid, the kind of machine so examined can be safely used by electors at elections, as provided in this act. If his report states that the machine can be so used, the machine shall be deemed approved, and machines of its kind may be adopted for use at elections, as herein provided.

(c) No kind of voting machine not so approved shall be used at any election, and if, upon the reexamination of any voting machine previously approved, it shall appear that the machine so reexamined can no longer be safely used by electors at elections as provided in this act, the approval of the same shall forthwith be revoked by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and no such voting machine shall thereafter be purchased for use in this Commonwealth.

(d) When a machine has been so approved, no improvement or change that does not impair its accuracy, efficiency or capacity, shall render necessary a reexamination or reapproval of the machine, or of its kind.

(e) Neither the Secretary of the Commonwealth, nor any examiner appointed by him for the purpose prescribed by this section, nor any member of a county election board shall have any pecuniary interest in any voting machine, or in the manufacture or sale thereof.

(f) Each examiner appointed hereunder shall receive a compensation of one hundred and fifty dollars ($150) for each different type of voting machine examined by him.