Madison County commissioners vote to send DS300 scanner upgrade to Board of Supervisors for funding approval

Madison County Election Commissioners voted Aug. 13 to forward a purchase and upgrade plan for new election tabulation equipment to the county Board of Supervisors for approval and funding.

The proposal, presented by Bill Lowe, would replace the county's current DS200 election-day tabulators with 85 DS300 scanners, add new flip stands for poll books, upgrade firmware on tabulators and express-vote units, and move poll-book hardware into a revised case and soft-case printer system. Lowe said the DS300 "is a newer scanner that we have that's gonna be a lot faster, a lot more efficient," and that the purchase would move the county to a newer tabulation firmware and certification plan.

The commissioners were told the purchase could be covered by Secretary of State grant funds and HAVA-related disbursements. Anita Ray, the county clerk, explained the grant flow and local disbursements and reported that, after the initial disbursement and the contract, the county would have about $57,830 remaining in the election funds identified for this purpose. Commissioners approved a motion to present the agreement to the Board of Supervisors.

Why it matters: The change would update aging tabulation hardware and move the county onto a newer certified tabulation firmware. The vendor said the DS300 will speed result tape printing and ballot scanning and that the purchase includes firmware upgrades for express-vote terminals and poll books.

Key details and timeline: The vendor said the replacement is designed to be a slide-in swap for existing ballot boxes and blue tote bins; power cords and some box rails may require replacement. The package includes extra TP-Link routers to support peer-to-peer poll-book syncing, soft cases for thermal printers, equipment installation and field service to migrate tablets into new cases, and shipping from the vendor's facility. Lowe said implementation could begin about four weeks after a signed contract in similar county rollouts, with an implementation window targeting mid-September and training planned for October; the vendor said the county could reasonably expect to use the equipment in the November election if schedules line up.

Costs and trade-ins: The presentation lists 85 replacement units; the vendor mentioned a trade-in allowance and a customer discount. On the trade-in, the vendor said the offer included about $42,000 as a trade-in allowance. The clerk indicated the plan would use Secretary of State disbursements and HAVA grant reimbursements where applicable.

Security, certification and recycling: Lowe said the DS300 purchase brings the county onto a new certification plan for tabulation. The vendor also offered an equipment-recycling option for retired units through Magnolia Data Solutions and said the county would receive a recycling report if it elects that option.

Commission action and next steps: After questions and discussion, a commissioner moved to "move this forward to go to the board of supervisors." The motion carried. Commissioners instructed staff to place the matter on the Board of Supervisors agenda for final approval and to confirm grant routing and contract details with the clerk's office.

Quotes (from meeting): Bill Lowe, presenter: "I live here in Madison County. And we have previously talked about the DS300 scanner. You're currently using the DS200 scanner, with your election day tabulation equipment." Anita Ray, Madison County clerk: "Once all that is done and it's been blessed, how long before the actual machines and stuff..." (discussion of implementation timing); clerk (later summary of funds): "...we would still have $57,830 left."

What remains unclear from the meeting record: the final contract amount the Board of Supervisors will be asked to approve (the vendor displayed a state-level price and discounts), the exact vote tally by name (the motion passed by voice vote), and whether the county will elect to recycle retired units.

Next steps: Staff will place the vendor's sales order/contract and grant documentation before the Board of Supervisors for approval and finalize timing for installation and training if the board approves funding.