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Elections bureau recommends Hart Intercivic voting system; council discussion centers on costs, ballots and staffing
Summary
County elections staff recommended leasing Hart Intercivic equipment for 2026; the bureau said the lease and a change in equipment would lower some temporary-staff costs and alter ballot-printing needs. Council asked for cost detail and an end-to-end demonstration.
Luzerne County’s elections bureau recommended Hart Intercivic as the vendor for a new voting system and asked the council to authorize staff to move forward with a five-year lease in fiscal year 2026. The recommendation followed vendor demonstrations, site visits and interviews with vendors that responded to the county RFP.
Elections staff said switching systems would change how ballots are produced and how precinct equipment is deployed. Under the recommended Hart Intercivic configuration, the county would retain one ballot-marking device (BMD) per precinct to meet federal accessibility requirements; BMDs would use thermal printer paper. The bureau estimates the change would cut some preparation costs by reducing the number of printed emergency ballots and lowering temporary staffing needs tied to equipment setup.
“In order to meet certification and deployment deadlines, our current system requires more temporary staff to process and prepare machines,” the elections bureau representative told council. The bureau said the proposed Hart setup would reduce temporary staffing needs and shift some recurring costs into a lease structure covered in the proposed FY2026 budget.
Council members asked for a written breakdown of all Hart costs (lease, maintenance, printed ballots and ancillary fees) and for staff to provide a full end-to-end demonstration before any final contract. Councilmember Michael Sabatino asked whether the quoted lease cost included printed ballots; staff said the projected annual cost estimate did include emergency printed ballots and that the new approach would cut some ballot-related expenses.
Council also discussed handling write-in handwriting adjudication and contingencies for damaged BMDs; staff said they will retain spares and that write-ins are shown as contest-level snippets for adjudication in Hart’s system. Officials said they will make available an in-person demonstration and provide cost detail to council prior to any final authorization.
Ending: The bureau asked council to authorize moving forward into FY2026 budgeting and lease negotiation; council asked for a cost memo and a live demonstration before final approval.
