The state estimates it would cost taxpayers more than $116 million to replace most existing voting machines. Lawmakers' preferred technology isn't yet available.
Sponsors of the provision said that their main objective was to prevent cheating in elections by banning the use of modern technology to count votes and store cast-ballot data. The law passed without sparking any debate on a voice vote and will go into effect just before the November 2026 general election.
State lawmakers approved the requirement which attracted little attention or debate in their massive overhaul of the state’s voting laws during a 2021 special Legislative session.