BATON ROUGE (AP) - Louisiana's elections will be getting a face-lift over the next few years, with plans underway to replace the state's decade-old bulky voting machines with sleeker, smaller equipment and beefed-up technology.

  

The request seeking proposals from contractors for new voting machines went out this week. At the same time, Secretary of State Tom Schedler learned Louisiana is getting a nearly $6 million federal grant to cover a portion of the costs.

  

The price tag is a hefty one.

  

Schedler estimates the entire replacement project will cost between $40 million and $60 million. With the federal grant, the state has about $8 million allocated so far.

  

Schedler said Louisiana's nearly 10,000 voting machines are antiquated, with spare parts dwindling. He'll be shopping for new equipment as concerns about cybersecurity threats are heightened.