Concerning transparency in election tabulation devices.

HB 1978 requires election equipment vendors to provide source code for ballot tabulation machines, hardware, and software to county auditors as part of their contracts. County auditors must then make this source code available for public inspection and copying, unless it is legally protected as confidential. The bill directly affects election vendors, county auditors, and the public by mandating transparency in the technology used to count votes. It aims to increase public confidence in election accuracy by allowing anyone to review how vote-counting systems operate, without altering the voting process itself.