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Court signs Nov. 4 election orders and OKs $560,000 purchase of 700 ballot printers for poll pads
Summary
The court approved orders for the Nov. 4 joint constitutional amendment and special elections and authorized purchase of 700 express‑vote printers to pair with newly purchased poll pads, the elections office said.
Bexar County Commissioners Court approved the legal orders necessary to conduct the joint constitutional amendment and general/special election on Nov. 4 and authorized an additional procurement of express‑vote ballot printers to pair with newly acquired poll pads, elections staff said on Sept. 9.
County elections officials presented the election order package, which authorizes early voting sites and joint election coordination with municipalities and school districts. Commissioners discussed early‑voting site placement in specific precincts and asked elections staff to follow up on locations such as Collins Garden Library and potential sites in growing areas like Leon Springs.
Separately the court approved a cooperative‑purchase order (per Texas Local Government Code Chapter 271, Subchapter F) to buy 700 express‑vote printers from ES&S at a total cost of $560,000. Elections staff said the printers are required to pair with poll‑pad equipment already purchased; the county currently has roughly 350 printers in inventory but lacks enough units to attach to every poll pad and supply spares. Commissioners discussed whether the quantity ordered should be reduced; staff said the request covers site redundancy, training needs and replacements.
Why it matters: The printers are a mission‑critical part of the county’s voting workflow for accessible ballots and ballot printing at polling locations. Commissioners asked elections staff to continue outreach to identify early‑voting sites in underserviced areas.
Votes: The court approved the election orders (motion by Commissioner Clay Flores, second by Commissioner Rodriguez) and separately approved the $560,000 printer purchase (motion by Commissioner Cowen, second by Commissioner Rodriguez). Both measures passed on voice votes with no opposition recorded in the transcript.
Provenance: Election orders and related discussion appear beginning at transcript block 10783.83 and the printer procurement discussion begins at 11063.756 and concludes at about 11440.945.
