Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry is giving voting system vendors another chance to get their systems certified as potential replacements for the state’s decades-old machines. The application deadline is July 2.

Background

In a 2021 state law, vendors must have their voting systems and system components certified by the secretary of state before they can compete for a state contract to replace Louisiana’s 35-year-old machines. Last year, Landry certified six different voting technologies, including five complete systems and a sixth ballot scanning component.

The companies with products already certified are: Clear Ballot of Boston; Democracy Live of Seattle; Election Systems & Software of Omaha, Nebraska; Hart InterCivic of Austin, Texas; Liberty Vote of St. Louis; and VotingWorks, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization.

Reactions and Next Steps

Reactions from some of the previously certified vendors have so far been mixed. In an emailed statement, Election Systems & Software spokeswoman Katina Granger said the company welcomes Landry’s decision as a “constructive step” to letting new vendors compete and to let current providers submit enhancements and updates for evaluation.

Landry’s office insists the second certification round won’t delay the procurement process. The agency is on track to select a new system by the end of the year and begin using it in some parishes for elections in 2027.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.