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Amherst County registrar asks for phased replacement of voting machines after multiple failures
Summary
The county registrar told supervisors several scanners and machines have failed since the November election and requested a phased purchase of 15 new machines (five per year) with an initial-year cost of about $41,000; supervisors asked staff to follow up and to consider the request at the next workshop.
The Amherst County registrar asked the Board of Supervisors at a budget workshop to approve a phased replacement of precinct scanners and voting machines after repeated equipment failures following the November election.
Why it matters: the registrar told the board that several ballot scanners and related voting equipment have become unserviceable; the machines perform automatic ballot scans that are critical to timely, accurate counts and to public confidence in elections.
Registrar27s request and rationale: the registrar said four machines failed after the November election and five more are currently unoperable. She requested a phased approach to purchase 15 replacement machines, buying five machines per year. She estimated the first-year cost at approximately $41,000 (which includes initial hardware and setup costs) and estimated subsequent years at about $36,000 per year; she also said repair costs vary but noted vendor repair estimates of about $1,000 per unit for some fixes and higher costs for more complex failures.
Board response and next steps: supervisors thanked the registrar for bringing the issue forward and asked county staff to work with her to identify budget options. Ms. Bryant asked Mr. Bryant to follow up and said staff would assess what is possible within the proposed budget. The board scheduled continued budget discussions at a March 12 workshop and indicated department heads and staff should be prepared to explain and justify capital requests.
Taper: no appropriation or formal vote was taken at the workshop. The registrar asked the board to consider the phased purchase or to authorize repairs as needed to ensure reliable equipment for upcoming elections.
