§ 18:1351 — Definitions

§1351. Definitions
As used in this Chapter, unless otherwise specified, the following terms shall have
the meanings herein ascribed to each:
(1) "Absentee by mail and early voting counting equipment" means a device capable
of counting and producing results of votes cast on paper absentee by mail and early voting
ballots.
(2) "Cast ballot" means a ballot in which the voter has taken final action after
reviewing his selections and irrevocably confirmed his intent to vote, either by activating the
cast vote mechanism or by scanning the voter-verified paper record into a vote capture
device.
(3) "Election" means and includes all elections held in Louisiana, whether primary,
general, or special.
(4) "Official ballot" means the list of candidates, offices, amendments, questions, or
propositions on the voting machine or paper ballot as certified by the secretary of state.
(5) "Parish custodian" refers to the parish custodian of voting machines and means
the persons designated as such by R.S. 18:1354.
(6) "Protective counter" means a counter, tabulator, or protective device that will
register each time the machine is voted during the life of the machine.
(7) "Public counter" means a counter, tabulator, or protective device that shall
incrementally record and indicate each time votes have been cast on a machine during an
election.
(8) "Question" means an amendment, proposition, or like matter to be voted on in
an election.
(9) "Vote-capture device" means a component of the voting system, including
hardware which may include a voter-facing scanner, software, and firmware, that captures
and counts voter ballot selections.
(10) "Vote indicator" means the device on a voting machine with which votes upon
a candidate or question are indicated.
(11) "Voter-facing scanner" means a vote-capture device used for in-person voting
that captures a voter's selections on a secure paper ballot one sheet at a time, whether hand-marked or produced by a ballot-marking device.
(12) "Voter-verified paper record" means a paper document or a secure hand-marked
paper ballot produced by a voting system that the voter can review and verify before
officially casting his ballot. The voter-verified paper record shall be printed on individual
sheets of paper for each voter and shall not be printed on a continuous paper roll. The voter-verified paper record shall be independent of any software or electronic device and
temporarily available to the voter for verification prior to casting his ballot upon the vote
capture device.
(13) "Voting machine" means the enclosure occupied by the voter when voting, as
formed by the voter-facing vote-capture device, including its screen and privacy shield.
Tabulation of the vote may occur on the voting machine or on another component of the
voting system.
(14) "Voting system" means the total combination of equipment, hardware,
firmware, software, materials, and documentation used to cast and count votes or to perform
any of the support functions to enable the casting or counting of votes.
NOTE: See Acts 2021, No. 481, §3, regarding repeal of §1351(5).

Legislative History

Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 2001, No. 1181, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2002; Acts 2002, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 130, §1, eff. April 23, 2002; Acts 2005, No. 220, §4, eff. Jan. 1, 2006; Acts 2006, No. 403, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2007; Acts 2007, No. 240, §1; Acts 2019, No. 374, §§1, 3, eff. June 19, 2019; Acts 2021, No. 480, §1, eff. July 1, 2021.