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Secretary of State's office defends $17 million closed-primary costs, outlines e-poll book procurement
Summary
Department of State staff told the appropriations committee that implementing closed party primaries and switching to electronic poll books are the primary drivers of an $18.8 million state-general-fund increase budgeted for elections in FY26; the office also said voting-system standards were published and procurement will follow.
Blair LeBlanc of the House Fiscal Division told the committee the Department of State's FY26 recommended budget totals about $131 million, with the elections program comprising roughly $90.8 million and a requested state-general-fund increase of roughly $18.8 million tied to a statewide closed-party-primary change and implementation costs.
The nut: the Secretary of State's office told lawmakers the largest near-term costs are for voter education about the closed primaries and for a statewide move to electronic poll (e-poll) books required to run the new primary process.
Katherine Newsom, the first assistant secretary of state representing Secretary Nancy Landry, said the office asked for $12.7 million for electronic poll books and $3.5 million for public education on the change to closed party primaries. Newsom told the…
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