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Hardin County applies for HAVA election-security grant to replace poll pads
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Summary
The county approved submitting a Help America Vote Act grant application to buy 48 new check-in devices (poll pads); the grant is a reimbursement award with a 20% local match and may be used for state and local elections but not for profit-making rentals, elections staff said.
Hardin County Commissioners Court approved submission of a Help America Vote Act (HAVA) election-security grant application to replace and standardize the county's voter check-in devices.
Elections Administrator Alyssa Freeman told the court the county plans to buy 48 new "poll pads" (check-in devices) to replace older devices that will soon be unsupported by the manufacturer. "Currently, Apple is not gonna be servicing them anymore, so we're gonna have to upgrade anyway," Freeman said, and added the county will order newer-generation devices to standardize equipment and prolong useful service life.
Freeman said the county currently has 31 sixth-generation and 17 tenth-generation devices and intends to update to a single current generation. The vendor has offered to buy back older units, which Freeman said will reduce net cost. Commissioners asked whether equipment bought with the HAVA grant can be used for state and local elections; Freeman replied yes, but said the federal grant terms prevent renting the equipment for profit.
The grant is a reimbursement award with a 20% local match; Freeman said the county would purchase equipment and then be reimbursed for 80% of eligible costs. The court voted to approve submission of the HAVA grant application and associated resolution.
What happens next: county elections staff will submit the grant application and, if awarded, will proceed with procurement and device standardization, subject to grant reimbursement rules and the county's 20% match obligation.
