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Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin announced that the Voting System Commission held its recommendation meeting on Wednesday, June 29. The commission was tasked with issuing recommendations regarding Louisiana’s next voting system, which will include a voter-verified paper record.

“After Wednesday’s vote, I now have an opportunity and responsibility as Secretary of State to ensure that the requirements of election officials, citizens, and the commission members are considered as we move into a new phase of securing our next voting system,” Ardoin said. “One thing is certain — by the end of this process, Louisiana will have a voting system with a voter-verified paper record that can be used to audit election results and reassure voters that their votes are being accurately counted.”

The Voting System Commission voted to recommend the following voting system features to the Secretary of State:

• Hand-marked paper ballots, a ballot marking device, or a combination thereof.
• Printing on demand for hand-marked paper ballots.
• Full-faced ballots or a ballot summary for ballot marking devices.
• Scanned tabulation of ballots.
• Any system must comply with ADA, HAVA, and other appropriate federal and state laws.

Following the issuance of the commission’s recommendations, Ardoin will begin promulgating system standards and drafting a request for proposals.