Fact check: Which states used paper ballots in the 2024 presidential election?

1. Why the sources fail to answer the central question — a transparency gap that matters

Most documents in the package are post-election reporting, thematic analysis, or academic excerpts that do not inventory voting technology by state. Several summaries explicitly acknowledge the absence of relevant data about which states used paper ballots in 2024, noting their focus on results, administrative challenges, or privacy implications rather than technology inventories ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}. This recurring omission means the dataset cannot be used to produce a reliable, nationwide list; any definitive claim would therefore go beyond the provided evidence and into unsupported inference.

2. The one concrete claim: West Virginia’s use of voter‑verified paper ballots

Within the supplied materials, a single clear claim states that West Virginia is a national leader and uses voter‑verified paper ballots, framed as an example of a state employing paper documentation of votes ^[5]. This is the only state explicitly identified as using paper ballots in the analyzed excerpts. The passages portray West Virginia’s practices as part of its election integrity initiatives, suggesting a policy emphasis on tangible audit trails and voter verification ^[5]. While useful, this single-state reference cannot be extrapolated to a national picture.

3. Contrasting content: topics the sources emphasize instead of ballot materials

The bundle includes election result coverage and discussions about administrators, procurement, and privacy, not equipment inventories. AP and CNN election result pieces discuss outcomes and implications without specifying voting system modalities ^{[1] [2]}. Academic excerpts and a book on local election administrators highlight procurement, transparency, and the role of officials, yet do not translate those themes into a state-by-state technical inventory ^{[3] [6]}. These emphases shape the material’s usefulness: strong on process and outcomes, weak on hardware specifics.

4. Privacy and vote‑revelation discussions complicate the ballot question

One source centers on privacy risks related to vote revelation, which is relevant to the paper‑vs‑digital debate but does not enumerate states using paper ballots ^[4]. Privacy analyses illustrate why the distinction matters—paper ballots can enable audits and privacy protections differently than fully electronic systems—yet they stop short of mapping which jurisdictions adopted which systems in 2024. This means users seeking technical coverage are left with contextual arguments rather than empirical roll‑calls.

5. International and procurement examples show broader themes but no U.S. inventory

Included international items and procurement litigation—an Argentine single‑paper ballot reform and a Philippine procurement case—demonstrate the global stakes of ballot format and vendor selection ^{[7] [8]}. These pieces illuminate how ballot design and vendor rules become political and legal flashpoints, but they do not inform which U.S. states used paper ballots in 2024. The included U.S.-focused book excerpts offer governance context without supplying the specific state-level inventory sought ^[6].

6. What can be reliably concluded from these materials

From the provided analyses, the only defensible factual conclusions are: (a) the dataset does not contain a comprehensive list of states using paper ballots in 2024; (b) West Virginia is explicitly described as using voter‑verified paper ballots; and (c) the materials emphasize election outcomes, administration, procurement, and privacy rather than technology inventories ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [7] [6] [8]}. Any broader claim about other states would require sources not present in the package.

7. Recommended next steps to fill the evidence gap (based on the void identified)

To obtain a definitive, up‑to‑date list of which states used paper ballots in 2024, consult authoritative inventories maintained by election oversight bodies and independent trackers. Useful types of sources include: state election office certification records, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s equipment registries, and independent research groups that map voting‑system usage by state. Given the absence of such sources in the provided materials, targeted retrieval of those specific inventories is necessary to convert the contextual understanding here into a state‑by‑state factual list.

8. Final assessment and transparency note about limitations

In sum, the supplied corpus is informative about electoral outcomes and governance debates but insufficient for answering which states used paper ballots in 2024 beyond naming West Virginia. The analysis adheres strictly to the provided materials; the absence of state‑level equipment inventories in those materials is the principal limitation. Readers should treat the answer as incomplete and pursue direct technical registries to obtain a verified, comprehensive list. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [7] [6] [8]}