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Supervisor of elections explains voting equipment rules: Florida uses paper ballots; Collier limited to two certified vendors
Summary
Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blasier told commissioners that voting‑system procurement in Florida is constrained by federal and state certification. Collier uses ES&S; the state requires paper ballots and maintains a vendor certification process that currently limits counties to two certified providers.
Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blasier briefed the board on June 19 to clarify how local voting equipment purchases are governed by federal and state certification rules.
Blasier said federal certification is handled by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and Florida adds a state certification layer through the Department of State’s Bureau of Voting System Certification. “At the state level, our state department actually certifies voting systems,” she said, and that process restricts Florida counties to currently certified vendors.
Blasier explained that Collier County uses ES&S (Election Systems & Software) and has done so since 2002 when the county replaced punch‑card systems. She emphasized that Florida voters cast paper ballots statewide: “We are 100% paper, not just in Collier County, but the entire state of Florida.” Blasier also noted the county’s optical scanners (DS200s) were about 17 years old and are in the process of replacement as part of normal equipment lifecycle management.
She urged residents with questions or concerns to visit the elections office for transparency tours and to see the equipment and audit processes firsthand.
Ending: Blasier said equipment choices are limited and driven by certification requirements; changing vendors would be costly and is not something the county does lightly.
