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Secretary of State outlines FY26 needs: closed-party primary implementation, voting-system procurement and museums funding
Summary
The Secretary of State briefed the committee on FY26 budget items including funding for election administration, the March promulgation of voting-system standards required by Act 480 (2021) and plans for a new voting system and museum operations.
Mark Bournes of Senate Fiscal Services presented the Department of State FY26 recommended budget and Secretary of State Nancy Landry summarized key priorities: implementation of a closed-party primary change, continued preparations for a voting-system procurement and ongoing museum and archive work.
Secretary Landry said the office is required to implement a closed-party primary system in FY26 under recent legislation; the department requested funding to educate voters (including $3.5 million for a voter-education campaign) and $12.7 million for electronic poll-book transition costs that appeared in the budget materials. She stressed acquisition of a new voting system as the top priority, noting the current fleet is more than 35 years old and parts availability is increasingly difficult. Landry said the office completed the standards required by Act 480 (2021) and will publish those standards; per the procurement statute the office will wait 30 days after standard promulgation before moving forward with procurement steps.
Landry and staff also described archives, museums and notary modernization work. The department runs the Old State Capitol and a State Archives program, among other museums, and the secretary noted recent awards and a revitalized digital-media archives partnership with LPB. The department reported personnel totals (366 authorized positions), FY26 categorical distributions (majority other charges and personnel services) and retiree/UAL breakout figures.
Committee members asked about the timing and costs of voting-system procurement and the meaning and scope of the electronic poll-book line in the budget. Secretary Landry said the office would continue to prioritize voter-verifiable paper and auditability and that the procurement will be conducted under the procedures set out in statute and state standards. The committee requested detailed itemization of the electronic-poll-book line, timing for procurement milestones and a schedule for museum maintenance work and funding disbursement.
