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Elections office to buy new ES&S poll books after vendor closure; Secretary of State funds to cover accessories
Summary
Facing an outgoing vendor, the Johnson County elections administrator secured new poll books and accessories from ES&S under a state contract and will use chapter‑19 funds for part of the purchase; the court approved the purchases unanimously.
Johnson County’s elections administrator told commissioners Monday that the county must replace poll books because the county’s current vendor is going out of business, and the court approved purchases from Election Systems & Software (ES&S) to ensure the county is ready for upcoming elections.
Miss Adams (elections administrator) described the purchase as 100 ES&S poll books, delivered and installed, with training for elections staff. The court approved a sales order for $154,650 and a maintenance contract for $21,000, for a total of $175,650. Commissioners also approved a related purchase of poll‑book accessories in the amount of $51,347.45 to be reimbursed under the secretary of state chapter‑19 funding program, which the elections office will draw on after making the initial purchase.
Adams and county staff told the court they had been working quickly to secure equipment and set up training because the constitutional‑election calendar requires early‑voting systems to be ready in a short timeframe. Commissioners praised the elections office and county staff for coordinating with the auditor and purchasing office to ensure timely procurement and installation.
Votes and process: Commissioner Howell moved to approve the ES&S sales order and maintenance contract; Commissioner White seconded. The motion carried unanimously. Commissioner White moved to approve the accessory purchase leveraging secretary‑of‑state chapter‑19 reimbursement funds; Commissioner Willie seconded. That motion also carried unanimously.
Why this matters: Poll books are election‑day hardware that record check‑in and voter history; replacing the county’s vendor‑dependent hardware is necessary to run the November constitutional election and other local contests. Using chapter‑19 funds reduces the county’s net outlay for accessories.
What’s next: Elections staff will accept delivery, receive vendor installation and training, and process the chapter‑19 reimbursement request for accessories once the initial purchase is made.
