Commissioners approve disposal and recycling of obsolete election equipment

Van Zandt County Commissioners Court approved disposal and recycling of obsolete election equipment that has been in storage since the county received new hardware. Elections staff described the inventory as including autoMARK voting stations (ADA-compliant), M100 ballot boxes and related tables and tabulators, and legacy electronic poll books. Staff noted some equipment had been stored since late 2023 after Hart and other vendors stopped certifying the models for use in state elections. Staff said the city requested use of one autoMARK unit through September 2026 and the county agreed to allocate it. The elections presentation recommended recycling the remainder through a certified electronics recycler that provides documentation of proper disposal. "The state has deemed them obsolete. They no longer certify them," the elections presenter said when explaining why the county could not reuse the devices for elections. The court authorized the county judge to sign documents to dispose of the listed equipment and to obtain recycling certification as required. The motion passed on a vote of the court.