Governor Edwards signs legislation that will begin the process of shifting Louisiana from an electronic voting system to a paper-based system. Under a paper system, voters will receive a paper ballot that they can look at to make sure their vote was tabulated correctly, and that can be later audited by hand should the need arise.
Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt said her bill will further strengthen the integrity of our elections.
“What is great about a paper-based system is that it is auditable, it is secure, and it is significantly cheaper than our 30-year-old outdated machines,” said Hewitt. “With an electronic system you push a button to cast a vote and that is it, so there is no way at the end to audit the result.”
The state is currently in search of new voting machines but Hewitt said this bill directs the Secretary of State to wait until we know exactly what we’re looking for to move ahead.
“Part of the bill sets up a commission of citizens, legislators, and election experts to really work through the details of what kind of paper-based system we want,” said Hewitt.
The commission will first meet on September 1st and generate a report before the start of 2022. Hewitt said it is not known if the paper system will be available for the 2022 federal elections.
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