Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections Equipment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Albany County approves $323,410 purchase of iPad poll-book equipment, extends state reimbursements
Summary
The county board approved a budget amendment and a $323,410 purchase from No Inc Yes LLC for electronic poll-book equipment, and extended multiple New York State Board of Elections grant agreements covering electronic poll books, cybersecurity remediation and ballot-by-mail reimbursement.
Albany County supervisors approved a package of Board of Elections actions to replace electronic poll-book iPads and accept or extend related state reimbursements.
Rachel Bleddy, Republican election commissioner, said the county must replace older iPads used as electronic poll books because the existing devices will no longer be certified for use after this year. “We had to replace all our iPads, which we were able to purchase through a grant available through the State Board of Elections,” Bleddy said. She asked the board to approve a budget amendment moving $200,000 and $59,726 from election-day staffing lines into equipment and professional-services lines to help cover the purchase and retrofit costs.
The total purchase and associated services are listed in the meeting record as $323,410. Bleddy said a portion of that purchase is reimbursable through the State Board of Elections electronic poll book grant.
The board separately approved extending the electronic poll book grant (resolution 779 of 2024) so the reimbursable term runs to March 31, 2026; the grant amount cited in the meeting record is $236,701. The board also approved an amended term for the election cybersecurity remediation grant (resolution 568 of 2024), noting the original allocation was $145,219 and $38,000 remained to be spent; county staff said remaining funds will pay for cybersecurity training and any necessary equipment replacement and are reimbursable. The board approved an amended term for the ballot-by-mail grant (resolution 778 of 2024), cited at $123,995; commissioners said the county purchased a high-speed absentee ballot scanner and expects roughly 90% reimbursement for that purchase.
The county authorized the purchase of iPad-related equipment and software from No Inc Yes LLC (a vendor on the New York State OGS contract) for $323,410; the presenter described the vendor as the county’s poll-book and on-demand ballot-printing vendor.
Commissioners asked operational questions during the discussion, including what will happen to the old iPads; Bleddy said they would be traded in and that older-generation devices have low resale value. She also clarified the new equipment would be used beginning with 2026 elections because the existing iPads cannot be certified after this year.
All motions on the Board of Elections items passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition in the transcript.
