Hand-Marked Paper Ballots
Voters fill in bubbles or make marks by hand on a paper ballot, which is then fed into an optical scanner for counting. The paper ballot is retained as the official record.
Know Your State's Voting System
Voting systems vary dramatically across the country. Use this guide to understand what equipment your state uses, whether paper trails are required, and what audit procedures protect your vote.
49
States with Paper Trails
5+
States Requiring RLAs
1
States Still Transitioning
3
Vote-by-Mail States
Glossary
Understanding Voting Systems
Optical Scan
Scanners read marks on paper ballots and produce an electronic tally. The paper ballots are preserved for auditing and recounting.
Ballot Marking Device (BMD)
Electronic devices that allow voters to make selections on a touchscreen, then print a paper ballot for the voter to review before casting. Provides accessibility but raises concerns about voter verification of computer-generated printouts.
DRE (Direct Recording Electronic)
Touchscreen voting machines that record votes electronically. Some have voter-verified paper audit trails (VVPAT); those without paper trails are being phased out nationwide.
VVPAT
Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail: a paper printout attached to a DRE machine that allows voters to confirm their electronic selections before finalizing their vote.
Risk-Limiting Audit (RLA)
A statistical method of auditing election results that provides strong evidence the correct winner was identified. Requires paper records and is considered the gold standard of post-election verification.
All 50 States
State-by-State Voting Systems
| State | Voting System | Audit Procedure | Paper Trail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election canvass | |
| Alaska | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Hand count audit of sample precincts | |
| Arizona | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Hand count audit; risk-limiting audit pilot | |
| Arkansas | DRE with VVPAT / Optical Scan | Post-election audit of sample | |
| California | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | 1% manual tally | |
| Colorado | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Risk-limiting audit (required) | |
| Connecticut | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit of 10% | |
| Delaware | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit | |
| Florida | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election manual audit | |
| Georgia | BMD with Paper Printout | Risk-limiting audit (required) | |
| Hawaii | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit of 10% | |
| Idaho | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election canvass | |
| Illinois | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit of 5% | |
| Indiana | DRE with VVPAT / Optical Scan | Varies by county | |
| Iowa | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit | |
| Kansas | DRE with VVPAT / Optical Scan | Post-election audit of 1% | |
| Kentucky | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election recanvass | |
| Louisiana | DRE without paper trail (transitioning) | Limited | |
| Maine | Paper Ballots / Hand Count & Optical Scan | Post-election recount provisions | |
| Maryland | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit | |
| Massachusetts | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit | |
| Michigan | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Risk-limiting audit pilot; procedural audit | |
| Minnesota | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election review | |
| Mississippi | DRE with VVPAT / Optical Scan | Limited | |
| Missouri | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit | |
| Montana | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election canvass | |
| Nebraska | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election canvass | |
| Nevada | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit | |
| New Hampshire | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan & Hand Count | Post-election audit of sample | |
| New Jersey | DRE with VVPAT (transitioning to paper) | Post-election audit | |
| New Mexico | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit of 2% | |
| New York | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit of 3% | |
| North Carolina | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election sample audit | |
| North Dakota | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election canvass | |
| Ohio | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit | |
| Oklahoma | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election audit of 3 precincts | |
| Oregon | Paper Ballots / Vote by Mail / Optical Scan | Post-election audit | |
| Pennsylvania | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Risk-limiting audit pilot; statistical sample | |
| Rhode Island | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Risk-limiting audit (required) | |
| South Carolina | BMD with Paper Printout | Post-election audit | |
| South Dakota | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Post-election manual audit | |
| Tennessee | DRE with VVPAT / Optical Scan | Post-election audit | |
| Texas | DRE with VVPAT / Optical Scan | Manual count of sample | |
| Utah | Paper Ballots / Vote by Mail / Optical Scan | Post-election audit of 1% | |
| Vermont | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan & Hand Count | Post-election audit | |
| Virginia | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Risk-limiting audit (required) | |
| Washington | Paper Ballots / Vote by Mail / Optical Scan | Risk-limiting audit pilot | |
| West Virginia | DRE with VVPAT / Optical Scan | Post-election audit of 3% | |
| Wisconsin | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan | Voting equipment audit | |
| Wyoming | Paper Ballots / Optical Scan & Hand Count | Post-election canvass |
Note: Voting systems and audit requirements change frequently as states update their election laws and equipment. This guide is for informational purposes only. Please check with your state's Secretary of State or election authority for the most current information.
Want to Improve Your State's Voting System?
Contact your state legislators and secretary of state to advocate for paper ballots, risk-limiting audits, and transparent election procedures.