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Secretary of State briefs House Election Law Committee on new voter database, ballot devices and HAVA funds
Summary
Secretary of State staff briefed the committee on a new statewide voter registration database, recent device approvals and the state’s use of HAVA funds to support municipalities purchasing accessible voting machines and electronic poll books.
During a committee orientation, Secretary of State David Scanlon and Deputy Secretary Erin Hennessy summarized recent election-administration changes and resources available to committee members and municipal officials.
Scanlon highlighted a newly deployed voter registration database, cyber-security protections, and two ballot counting devices approved by the Ballot Law Commission to replace the legacy AccuVote/OccuVote systems. "The newer devices use digital scan technology, which means that an image of every single ballot can be recorded," he said, noting that image capture supports broader post-election audits.
Scanlon identified one vendor with federal Election Assistance Commission approval and said several towns are already using the VotingWorks device, which relies on open-source software. The other vendor referenced was Dominion’s ImageCast machine; Scanlon said that device was still awaiting final approvals and deployment by its vendor.
The secretary also described expanded use of electronic poll books in many municipalities, which allow any voter to check in at any line and permit instant tallies for supervisors of the checklist. Scanlon said the state has "more funds in the Help America Vote Act, election fund account than we need to actually run that program," and his office has been cost-sharing purchases with cities and towns for devices and e-pollbook deployments.
Deputy Secretary Erin Hennessy described staffing at the office and outreach work including a voter and civics outreach coordinator and an education initiative aimed at recruiting poll workers and educating various constituencies, from students to seniors and veterans. She told the committee the office will publish an updated election law handbook this summer and offered in-person tours of the HAVA office and archives for members.
Committee members asked about the amount in the state HAVA account and the timeline for making new devices available; Scanlon estimated the HAVA balance at roughly $12 million from his last count and recommended a cautious procurement timetable to ensure buy-in from both disability advocates and municipalities.
The briefing set the technical and fiscal context for subsequent hearings on bills the committee handled that day.
