The only solution to this problem is a paper trail where every vote cast is verified by a hand-marked, counterfeit-proof, paper ballot with a public hand counting of ballots before certification.

If we cannot trust our vote, we do not live in a representative republic.

While the Louisiana Constitution requires the ability to recount and verify election results, the 90% of votes cast through the electronic voting machines cannot be verified. An example from November 2024 shows that Adrian Joseph narrowly won a race against Clerice Lacy in the Port Allen City Council election by 10 votes. Lacy asked for a recount. This “recount” cost her $1,000.00 and included less than 7% of the votes cast (160 votes). Other candidate challengers have been quoted much higher fees, making the challenge cost-prohibitive. The only votes reviewable were the absentee ballots that were mailed in. The other 93% of votes (2,228) were cast on computer voting machines with no way to audit or recount.The result is that for those 2,228 voters who cast ballots, there is no verifiable proof of how they voted. The solution to this problem is clear, but some say we must “trust the system.” Our elections are currently dependent on many layers of blind trust. This is not constitutional and should not be tolerated. Louisiana's Secretary of State insists that Louisiana’s election system is “safe and secure,” but how can this be proven if the votes cannot be audited? The only solution to this problem is a paper trail where every vote cast is verified by a hand-marked, counterfeit-proof, paper ballot with a public hand counting of ballots before certification. Here are some additional observations regarding Louisiana elections: * 90% of Louisiana's votes are cast electronically with no way to recount or verify their accuracy. * There is no paper trail. * In very close elections, we we are expected to “trust” the electronic system that forensic experts and smart Americans know can be hacked and manipulated, not to mention computer glitches and programming errors. * A candidate in Louisiana, with our current voting system, simply cannot verify whether they received a fair election. If we cannot trust that our vote is protected, we do not live in a representative republic.   The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Convention of States Action, its staff, or affiliates.