County clerk urges replacement of aging voting machines; commissioners favor two‑year payment plan

County Clerk Amy Kiffinbrook told the commissioners the county’s 96 in‑booth direct voting units are 17 years old and have been upgraded twice; she recommended replacing the DRE units themselves (not full booths) for security and reliability reasons. Kiffinbrook said vendor MicroVOTE estimated roughly $275,000 for 96 replacement DRE units and offered a two‑year, interest‑free payment option to split the cost. She said lead times are four to five months and that, if approved for 2026 primaries, the county would need to place the order promptly.

Kiffinbrook also said MicroVOTE advised the county could reduce the number of machines by nine but warned pending legislation and potential changes to polling processes could increase demand and line length on election days; for that reason she advocated replacing the full existing inventory. She noted some tariff costs could change before ordering and that state rules limit how counties may dispose of old election equipment.

Commissioners discussed using the voting equipment fund, splitting payment over two budget years, and placing the order once the budget commitment was clear. One commissioner summarized the board’s direction as favoring the two‑year payment plan and ordering soon to avoid tariff and lead‑time risks.

No binding procurement contract was finalized at this meeting; staff were directed to proceed with vendor arrangements consistent with the board’s direction and to return with final contract documents and ordinance/appropriation details as required for purchase and payment.