Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections Pollbooks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dallas County orders demonstrations of new poll-book setup after post‑November problems; public test set for March 17
Summary
After extended discussion about poll‑book reliability and vendor certification, the Commissioners Court approved RFP items for election technology and directed elections staff to demo the alternate poll‑book system for commissioners before early voting begins. County staff said public testing is scheduled March 17 and ballot mailings March 19.
The Dallas County Commissioners Court on March 2025 voted unanimously to approve a package of election-related RFP items and directed elections staff to provide commissioners a live demonstration of the alternate poll‑book system before early voting begins.
Court members said they remain concerned about the check‑in station failures that disrupted parts of the November election. Commissioner John Wiley Price pressed elections staff for specifics about deliveries, connectivity and compatibility between the poll‑book tablets and printers, and asked for hands‑on demonstrations for each commissioner before the court’s next full review. "We need to see the system and kind of use it, I mean, to be able to ask some of the questions," Price said during the meeting.
Why it matters: County officials must be satisfied the check‑in system will reliably produce correct ballots and function smoothly under voting‑day conditions. County staff told the court that the Secretary of State has recently issued new testing requirements for one incumbent voting vendor (ES&S), and that change increased the urgency for the county to have a working alternative poll‑book solution available for May.
What the court approved and the next steps: The court voted to approve RFP items 1 through 7 (motion by Dr. Elba Garcia; second by Commissioner Zimmerman) to allow procurement and deployment activity to move forward. Elections staff told the court that some units have been delivered, more shipments are expected, and managers are preparing materials and equipment for demonstration. Officials listed these near‑term milestones on the record: - Public certification test of the ballot printing system: March 17 (public test) - Ballot mailings to begin: March 19 - Early voting: begins April 27
Elections staff and the county attorney advised caution about using phrases such as "poll books connected to voting machines," and clarified the county’s approach is to ensure that the check‑in tablet prints the correct ballot through a direct cable connection to the ballot printer rather than creating an online link between check‑in tablets and tabulators. County staff said the configuration avoids intermediary, non‑certified devices that had been used in earlier pilot setups.
Commissioner Price requested one‑on‑one demonstrations at the elections office for each commissioner this week, followed by a public presentation at the continuous improvement committee or a special call if commissioners want broader discussion. Elections staff agreed to schedule the demonstrations and to provide answers to a list of technical questions circulated in advance.
What remains unresolved: County staff noted the Secretary of State sent a Feb. 19 letter to ES&S requiring additional rapid‑verification testing; county staff said that could affect ES&S readiness for May and underscored the need for a viable alternative for voter check‑in. Commissioners also requested details about poll‑worker time tracking, vendor technical support profiles, and whether contracted technical experts will be available on site during early voting and Election Day.
The court did not delay certification dates already announced by the elections office and asked staff to provide additional documentation and live demonstrations to the commissioners ahead of early voting.
Ending: County staff scheduled commissioner walkthroughs of the equipment this week and will place a public demonstration on the continuous improvement agenda or a special call before early voting begins.
