Secretary of State outlines omnibus election changes, new voting-system procurement and closed primary rules

Secretary of State Nancy Landry told the Joint Committee on Governmental Affairs on March 19 that the Department of State will complete step one of the voting‑system procurement process on March 20 and then must wait 30 days before issuing a request for proposals under Act 480 of 2021.

Landry said the department also plans to seek approximately $3,500,000 for voter education to prepare Louisianans for closed party primaries next year and described a draft omnibus bill with multiple technical and substantive updates to the election code.

The procurement timeline and need for a new system

Landry said the office finished drafting state system standards required under Act 480 of 2021 and will publish them March 20. "Act 480 requires that our office wait at least 30 days after the promulgation of the standards before moving on with the procurement process," she said. Landry described the current fleet of machines as "almost 35 years old," and said parts are difficult to obtain and the office sometimes must cannibalize machines for repairs. She said the new system should allow voters to confirm their selection on a paper ballot before casting it, combining technological speed and accuracy with a voter‑verifiable paper record.

Omnibus bill and closed party primary mechanics

Deputy Commissioner Laney Boyd presented a list of proposed omnibus changes the State Board of Election Supervisors recommends. Several items are explicitly written to implement closed party primaries: setting withdrawal deadlines that prevent late cancellations after in‑person voting begins; grouping closed party races together on ballots so ballots are clearer to voters; clarifying that presidential preference primaries remain closed; defining how vacancies run on closed…