County clerk warns of fragile spare inventory; court approves maintenance deal and two replacement machines

The Gallatin County Clerk told the Fiscal Court that a spare voting machine was deployed during a November election after a machine failed at a busy vote center, and that the office now lacks redundancy if another machine were to fail.

"In November, we had a machine go down here at our busiest boat center at 10:00 in the morning," the County Clerk said, describing the delay and the need to redeploy the only spare. The clerk said vendor representative Matt Wong has serviced local machines and that vendor visits for maintenance are scheduled to begin in April.

The clerk requested the court accept a vendor maintenance agreement (the vendor discussed optional replacement batteries and a maintenance package quoted in meeting materials) and approve purchase of two new voting machines. The clerk presented a maintenance line-item quote of $3,090.20 for required servicing and a purchase quote for two new machines totaling $13,007.02. The clerk said some maintenance work can be billed in the next fiscal year if schedules require it.

Magistrates discussed timing and budgeting; one member recorded opposition to accepting the maintenance agreement on the floor but the agreement carried. The court approved both accepting the maintenance agreement and buying two machines; the clerk said if invoices arrive before the fiscal year-end they will appear in the bills to pay, otherwise the purchase will be budgeted in the following fiscal year.

Ending: County elections staff were directed to coordinate procurement and to monitor vendor scheduling so maintenance and spare-machine availability are assured for upcoming elections.