County to host demonstrations of new electronic voting system with printed paper trail

Jim Wells County election officials told the court on Sept. 12 they are exploring a switch to an electronic voting system that would print ballots on-site and maintain a paper trail, with the aim of reducing preprinted ballot waste and improving accuracy.

The elections administrator (presented in the meeting) said the secretary of state has been stricter about extra preprinted ballots and that a new system could reduce costs: he provided sample price comparisons showing preprinted 8½-by-11 ballots at about $0.40 each versus blank stock printed on-site at roughly $0.065 per sheet. He also said the vendor’s quoted recurring maintenance ($12,635 annually) would be lower than current annual costs (~$19,000).

The official described an 11-by-17 option for larger ballots and said the new machines weigh less (15–17 pounds vs. about 30 pounds for current equipment), which could ease setup for election judges. He told the court the system will be certified by the end of the year and said a vendor demonstration would allow commissioners to see the system in real time.

Commissioners voted to table the purchase decision and authorized staff to invite vendors to provide in-person demonstrations at a future commissioner’s court. Officials noted that meeting timing probably precludes use for the November general election and discussed potentially aiming for the March primary.

Ending: The court directed staff to schedule vendor demonstrations and postponed any purchasing decision pending demonstrations and follow-up questions.