This bill makes major changes to how federal elections are conducted, with a strong focus on paper ballots and election security. The core requirement is that all voting machines must produce paper ballots that voters can verify before they're cast. These paper ballots become the official record for any recounts or audits—if electronic counts don't match hand counts of the paper ballots, the paper ballots win. Voters will have the chance to correct mistakes on their ballots before they're finalized, and the system must prevent anyone from tampering with ballots after they're cast.

The bill also requires states to conduct post-election audits starting in 2034, where officials manually count ballots from a sample of races to verify that the electronic counts were accurate. Before that deadline, states must do smaller pilot audits. Voting machines cannot be connected to the internet or have wireless communication devices, making them completely isolated from outside hacking. The bill provides $2.4 billion in federal funding to help states replace old voting equipment and upgrade their election security systems by 2026.

For people with disabilities, the bill requires voting systems to provide accessible ways to mark and verify ballots privately and independently, including options for blind voters and those with mobility issues. States must also ensure that voting machines are manufactured and assembled in the United States, and that any software used is developed here as well. Election equipment vendors must meet strict security standards and report any cybersecurity incidents within three days. The bill gives states until 2026 to implement most of these changes, though some older voting systems get extra time to transition if they're already in use.