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Court ratifies Department of Defense grant to expand secure electronic absentee ballot access for military and overseas voters
Summary
Bexar County ratified and accepted a DOD federal voting assistance grant to support electronic absentee ballot delivery for military and overseas voters across a consortium of 17 counties; county officials said the grant sets up a cloud portal and initial operating costs, with ongoing subscription costs to be considered after the grant term.
Bexar County Commissioners Court ratified and accepted on July 8 a grant award from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Federal Voting Assistance Program for an electronic absentee-ballot system intended to serve military and overseas voters. The grant, awarded in July 2024, covers a consortium that includes Bexar County and 16 additional counties and funds setup and initial operations for the electronic ballot-delivery portal used to transmit ballots to overseas voters securely.
Elections Administrator Michelle Carruth and Democracy Live representative Brian Finney explained the grant funds the secure cloud infrastructure and portal services used to provide ballots to military and overseas voters. The system allows voters to retrieve and print ballots securely; in ordinary circumstances ballots are then printed and mailed back to the county, with electronic return allowed only in limited wartime circumstances per federal guidance. County staff said grant-funded setup will be followed by a reversion to an annual contract cost (noted in meeting as approximately $43,000 per year in existing contract terms) after the grant period expires.
Why it matters: The Department of Defense funding supports a federally vetted cloud environment and additional security measures to protect the transmission of ballots to military personnel and citizens overseas. Commissioners asked about long-term operating costs and the need for participating counties to contribute after the grant ends; presenters said some counties joined the Bexar County consortium to participate in the DOD-funded setup.
The court approved ratification and acceptance by voice vote. Commissioners requested periodic updates on post-grant operating costs and county responsibilities if the program continues after the federal funding term.
Ending: County staff will manage the grant proceeds and continue operating the portal under the vendor contract; the court asked Elections staff to report back on funding needs when the grant term concludes.
