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Voting equipment by state
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The types of voting equipment used in the United States vary from state to state. Some jurisdictions use electronic devices to record votes while others use paper ballots. Tabulation methods likewise vary from state to state.[1][2]
Types of voting equipment
The following types of voting equipment are in use in the United States or have been used in recent years:[1]
- Optical scan paper ballot systems: Voters mark their votes by filling in an oval, box, or similar shape on a paper ballot. The paper ballots are scanned either at the polling place or at a central location.[1]
- Direct recording electronic (DRE) systems: DRE systems employ computers that record votes directly into the computers' memory. These interfaces may incorporate touchscreens, dials, or mechanical buttons. The voter's choices are stored by the computer on a cartridge or hard drive. Some DRE systems are also equipped with Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) printers, which produce paper records that can be preserved to be tabulated in case of an audit or recount.[1]
- Ballot-marking devices and systems (BMDs): A BMD "allows for the electronic presentation of a ballot, electronic selection of valid contest options, and the production of a human-readable paper ballot, but does not make any other lasting record of the voter’s selections." Initially used primarily to accommodate voters with disabilities, BMDs are used by all voters in some locations.[1]
Voting equipment by state
The maps below show what ballot marking and tabulation methods were used in each state as of September 2025.
The table below shows what voting equipment was used in each state as of September 2025.[1]
| State | Ballot marking methods | Tabulation methods |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Alaska | Hand-marked paper ballots, BMDs and DREs with VVPAT | Hand Count, optical scan, and DRE |
| Arizona | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Arkansas | BMDs for all voters | Optical scan |
| California | All-mail ballots. Election Day voting centers: hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Colorado | All-mail ballots. Election Day voting centers: hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Hand count and optical scan |
| Connecticut | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Delaware | BMDs for all voters | BMD/Tabulator |
| Florida | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Georgia | BMDs for all voters | Optical scan |
| Hawaii | All-mail ballots. Election Day voting centers: hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Idaho | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Hand count and optical scan |
| Illinois | Hand-marked paper ballots, BMDs, and DREs with VVPAT | Optical scan |
| Indiana | Hand-marked paper ballots, BMDs, and DREs with and without VVPAT | Optical scan and DRE |
| Iowa | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Kansas | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | BMD/Tabulator and optical scan |
| Kentucky | BMDs for all voters | Optical scan |
| Louisiana | DREs without VVPAT for all voters | DRE |
| Maine | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Hand count and optical scan |
| Maryland | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Massachusetts | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Hand count and optical scan |
| Michigan | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Minnesota | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Hand count and optical scan |
| Mississippi | Hand-marked paper ballots, BMDs, and DREs with and without VVPAT | Optical scan |
| Missouri | Hand-marked paper ballots, BMDs, and DREs with VVPAT | Hand count and optical scan |
| Montana | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Hand count and optical scan |
| Nebraska | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Nevada | All-mail ballots. Election Day voting centers: BMDs and DREs with VVPAT | Optical scan and DRE |
| New Hampshire | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Hand count and optical scan |
| New Jersey | Hand-marked paper ballots, BMDs, and DREs with and without VVPAT | BMD/Tabulator, optical scan, and DRE |
| New Mexico | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| New York | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | BMD/Tabulator and optical scan |
| North Carolina | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| North Dakota | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Ohio | Hand-marked paper ballots, BMDs, and DREs with VVPAT | BMD/Tabulator, optical scan, and DRE |
| Oklahoma | Hand marked paper ballots; Direct recording assistive interface without VVPAT for accessibility | Optical scan, accessible interface records votes directly into optical scan tabulation |
| Oregon | All-mail ballots. Election Day voting centers: hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Pennsylvania | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | BMD/Tabulator and optical scan |
| Rhode Island | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| South Carolina | BMDs for all voters | Optical scan |
| South Dakota | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Tennessee | Hand-marked paper ballots, BMDs and DREs with and without VVPAT | Optical scan and DRE |
| Texas | Hand-marked paper ballots, BMDs and DREs without VVPAT | Hand count, optical scan, and DRE |
| Utah | All-mail ballots. Election Day voting centers: hand-marked paper ballots, BMDs, and DREs with VVPAT | Optical scan and DRE |
| Vermont | All-mail ballots. Election Day voting centers: hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Hand count and optical scan |
| Virginia | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Washington | All-mail ballots. Election Day voting centers: hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| West Virginia | Hand-marked paper ballots, BMDs, and DREs with VVPAT | BMD/Tabulator and optical scan |
| Wisconsin | Hand-marked paper ballots, BMDs and DREs with VVPAT | Hand count, optical scan, and DRE |
| Wyoming | Hand-marked paper ballots and BMDs | Optical scan |
| Source: Verified Voting, "The Verifier – Election Day Equipment – November 2026," accessed September 11, 2025 | ||
Voting equipment by state in past elections
2024
The table below shows what voting equipment was used in each state for the November 5, 2024 general election.[3]
Voting equipment usage in November 5, 2024, election
2020
The table below shows what voting equipment was used in each state for the November 3, 2020 general election.[4]
Voting equipment usage in November 3, 2020, election
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See also
External links
- Verified Voting, "Voting Equipment in the United States"
- National Convention of State Legislatures, "Elections Technology: Nine Things Legislators May Want to Know"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Verified Voting, "The Verifier – Polling Place Equipment – November 2024," accessed April 25, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "verify" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "verify" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "verify" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Brennan Center for Justice, "America's Voting Machines at Risk," accessed April 25, 2024
- ↑ Verified Voting, "The Verifier – Election Day Equipment – November 2024," accessed September 11, 2025
- ↑ Verified Voting, "The Verifier – Polling Place Equipment – November 2020," accessed April 25, 2024
