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Commissioners direct shift to hand‑marked paper ballots for November, ask staff for implementation plan
Summary
The court voted to adopt hand‑marked paper ballots for the upcoming November election and directed elections staff to return with an implementation plan by June 23; the court noted HAVA accessibility requirements and estimated continued limited use of ballot‑marking devices.
Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt hand‑marked paper ballots for the November election and directed elections staff to produce an implementation plan with specifics by June 23.
Elections staff explained the proposed approach consistent with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The elections administrator said HAVA requires accessibility accommodations and that the county would retain a limited inventory of ballot‑marking devices (express votes) to meet ADA/HAVA obligations — staff estimated approximately 300 BMD units would remain in inventory for accessibility, one per location plus backups. Staff said adopting hand‑marked ballots will change consumable needs (thermal ballots vs. printed ballots) and that printing could increase the number of physical pages required for ballots in some contests.
Why it matters: the decision changes the in‑person voting method the county will use for November, affects procurement and vendor contracts, and requires training for poll workers and public education about the new process.
Elections staff told the court prior cost estimates (presented to a prior court meeting) were higher — earlier option estimates were in the low‑millions — and that under the hand‑marked approach current vendor estimates are below those prior figures. Staff said they had already reached out to vendors and to the Secretary of State’s office about available HAVA subgrants; staff reported an initial estimate of a guaranteed $52,000 subgrant allocation and said additional HAVA funds might be available depending on state allocations.
Court action: the court’s motion directed staff to implement hand‑marked paper ballots for November and to return with an implementation plan (equipment counts, training and budget implications) by June 23. The elections administrator said the timeline is tight but indicated his office would proceed and present the implementation plan at the scheduled date. The court voted 4–0 in favor.
