Cameron County adds BISD administration building as vote center and approves ExpressPoll e-poll books

The Cameron County Commissioners Court approved adding the Brownsville Independent School District administration building as an election-day vote center for the Nov. 4, 2025 constitutional amendment and local joint election, and authorized the acquisition of ExpressPoll electronic poll books from Election Systems & Software (ES&S) under Texas BuyBoard contract number 710-23.

Remy, an elections staff presenter, told the court that the county's previous e-poll book vendor would no longer support the VoteSafe system and that ES&S—s ExpressPoll system integrates with the county—s ballot-on-demand printing and other election-night systems. Staff recommended using the BuyBoard cooperative purchasing contract to speed acquisition. The court approved acquisition of 137 ExpressPoll units and associated maintenance, tablets and software to implement the e-poll book system.

Staff also discussed grant funding to offset the purchase. Officials said they had applied for a secretary of state security grant and expected a quick award; in the interim the county may front the purchase with the expectation of reimbursement. Presenters said the guaranteed allocation from the state grant program discussed in the meeting was in the neighborhood of $62,000, and county staff would set up a budget line to accept reimbursement if the grant is awarded.

Why it matters: Electronic poll books speed voter check-in and help counties maintain accurate cross-checking between locations. Staff emphasized certification and interoperability: the ExpressPoll system is certified by the secretary of state and integrates with the county—s existing ES&S ballot systems, election-night software and ballot printing workflows.

Votes and next steps: The court approved the vote-center addition and the ExpressPoll acquisition by recorded motions; staff will finalize purchase orders and seek grant reimbursement if awarded.