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Commissioners adopt hand‑marked paper ballots for November, hold ES&S contract amendment for follow-up
Summary
The court voted to adopt hand-marked paper ballots for the November election and directed elections staff to present an implementation plan by June 23; the ES&S maintenance contract amendment was held pending the implementation plan and potential contract amendment to reflect required ballot‑marking-device inventory.
Collin County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to adopt hand-marked paper ballots for the upcoming November election and directed elections staff to return to the court with an implementation plan by June 23.
Elections Administrator Caleb Breaux told the court the decision affects how ballots will be delivered at polling locations and how accessible voting equipment will be deployed. Breaux said federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) requirements still obligate jurisdictions to provide accessible ballot marking devices for voters with disabilities. “In order to meet HAVA and ADA compliancy, we estimate that we will still need about 300 express votes in our inventory,” he said, explaining that those devices would be set aside to meet accessibility requirements and provide backups for polling locations.
Breaux confirmed the county can remove certain curbside touchscreen units from the planned inventory if the court adopts hand-marked ballots, and that the county’s maintenance contract with ES&S (the current vendor) could be amended later to reflect the reduced device set. He also said the state has signaled an available HAVA subgrant and that Collin County is eligible for at least $52,000 under that program; Breaux described an updated county estimate for the full transition at roughly $2.24 million, subject to final procurement and consumable costs.
Commissioner Williams moved to adopt hand-marked paper ballots and directed administration to present a full implementation plan by June 23; Commissioners seconded the motion and it passed 4 to 0. The court held the agenda item that would have renewed or amended the ES&S maintenance contract pending receipt of an implementation plan that reflects the county’s final inventory needs and costs.
