The Caroline County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of new voting tabulators and accessibility (ADA) ballot‑writer equipment after election officials reported the county’s existing ADA ballot printers were no longer functioning and could not be repaired.

County election staff and Electoral Board members told the board the ADA ballot‑writer/printer units used to provide private and independent voting for voters with disabilities are obsolete or non‑repairable and that the vendor‑specific ADA ballots must be used with that vendor’s tabulator. The county’s Electoral Board chair, Sandra Pelcher, told supervisors the county must provide at least one voting system equipped for voters with disabilities at each polling place under Virginia law; staff said the current hardware failed to meet that requirement and replacement equipment was required to achieve compliance.

Registrations and testing across several vendors led county officials to recommend a vendor solution that includes new ballot‑writers and corresponding tabulators. Staff said delivery and training could be completed in approximately two weeks after contracts are executed, allowing the new units to be used for early voting beginning Sept. 19. County staff said a portion of funding had been budgeted previously (about $107,000 referenced in the budget material), but they sought authorization to complete procurement for the package that includes tabulators and accessibility equipment.

At the meeting the board discussed the timing of the request—some supervisors expressed frustration that the need was brought to the board so close to the November general election and asked why the issue had not been escalated earlier after initial problems were noted last year. Staff and members of the Electoral Board said they had been researching vendors since late 2024 and that the ADA printers had become non‑functional; the Electoral Board chair said prior elections used supplemental assistance for disabled voters but that the county must be compliant with privacy and independence requirements.

The board approved the procurement by majority vote with one supervisor opposed. Supervisors asked election staff to provide contract documentation to the county attorney and said they wanted clearer advance notice in future procurement needs for essential election infrastructure.

Why this matters: access to private and independent voting for people with disabilities is required under state law; replacement equipment is necessary to meet that requirement and to avoid potential legal challenges. The item also raised governance questions about advance notification to the board for essential election equipment and contingency planning.

Next steps: staff to finalize procurement, sign contract per legal advice, and implement delivery and training so the new equipment is available for early voting and the November election.