Officials say voting machines could cost state $100 million

Louisiana election officials have told lawmakers that replacing the state's aging voting machines will cost about $100 million, but the Secretary of State's Office says it has no records showing how that estimate was developed.
Secretary of State Nancy Landry told lawmakers earlier this year that Louisiana needs another $25 million to fully fund the replacement of its roughly 35-year-old voting system.
About $75 million has already accumulated for the project. Landry also said that the state had spent four years in the "pre-procurement" process and was "nearing the end."
But in response to a public records request seeking cost estimates, budget projections, vendor estimates, internal memoranda and other documents concerning the expected cost of the new system, Landry's office said it had nothing to provide.
The response leaves unclear what underlies the $100 million figure repeatedly cited by state officials as Louisiana moves toward one of its largest election-system purchases in decades. The Office's communications director did not respond to requests for comment on why no records could be produced.
Legislative fiscal analysts have similarly described the final price as unknown, saying it will depend on the system selected and the security features included. The state plans to pay for the purchase using money in its Voting Technology Fund and federal election funds.
Landry nevertheless told the Senate Finance Committee in February that the state expected the complete overhaul to cost roughly $100 million and needed another $25 million.
"Louisiana voters have consistently indicated that they want a system that combines the speed of modern technology with the security of a voter-verifiable paper ballot, as required by state law," Landry told lawmakers.
The new system is expected to replace Louisiana's current direct-recording electronic machines with equipment that produces a paper record of each vote, allowing election officials to conduct post-election audits.