Voters of Los Angeles County will soon be able to enjoy a new voting experience, thanks to the open source election tally system.

California election officials have reportedly certified the first open-source, publicly owned election technology for use in Los Angeles County’s upcoming elections. The certification is being seen as “a significant step in the future of elections in California and across the country,” according to Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

The system is known as Voting Solutions for All People (VSAP) Tally Version 1.0.

As part of the certification process, the system went through rigorous functional and security testing conducted by the Secretary of State’s staff and a certified voting system test lab. The testing ensured the system’s compliance with California and federal laws, including the California Voting System Standards (CVSS).

The certification of the VSAP Tally solution now allows Los Angeles County to move forward with its newly redesigned VSAP Vote by Mail (VBM) ballots for the November 6, 2018 General Election.

“With security on the minds of elections officials and the public, open-source technology has the potential to further modernize election administration, security, and transparency,” Padilla added.

The RR/CC will begin issuing the newly redesigned VBM packets on October 9. The packets will include a new, easy-to-use full-face ballot, return envelope, secrecy sleeve and an “I Voted” sticker. And no postage will be required on the return envelope.