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Nueces County to consider $3.8 million plan to replace aging voting machines
Summary
Elections staff told commissioners the county’s voting equipment (purchased in 2006) is outdated and proposed using $700,000 in special revenue plus a $3.1 million certificates-of-obligation (CO) issue to reach roughly $3.8 million; vendor Hart (Verity) is the only currently certified option for vote centers.
Elections staff told the commissioners that the county’s voting equipment, purchased in 2006, is failing and that replacement would require a combination of existing sinking funds and a CO issue.
Cara (Speaker 7), the elections presenter, said recent elections produced more equipment complaints and repairs, and recommended procurement now so the new machines can be implemented and tested before the constitutional election on Nov. 7. "After every election, we spend 6 to $10,000 repairing various pieces of equipment as it is," she said, adding that the intent is to deploy the new system during a smaller election so problems can be worked out before a major contest.
Staff described a funding plan that would use about $700,000 in the elections special revenue/sinking fund and issue $3.1 million in COs to reach roughly $3.8 million total for the new system. Cara said the county would receive vendor support for training and that the vendor would have technicians on site for the initial election. "They will also handle the training for the judges as well," she said.
Commissioners raised procurement and competition concerns. One commissioner said the other vendor options that include a paper backup were not certified for vote centers and alleged Hart had used legal action to block competition; Cara and staff responded that Hart is the currently certified vendor for vote centers and that the alternative vendor had sought waivers or different certification paths. Cara emphasized the certification process and recommended using the certified system while continuing voter education and ADA outreach.
On logistics, staff said the county would obtain approximately 500 standard touch-screen units plus a number of ADA-compliant units and that Hart will accept some old equipment as part of the deal. The court discussed voter-center policy trade-offs (vote centers vs. precinct-based paper systems) and the practical importance of curbside and ADA functionality for some voters.
No final procurement vote was taken at the workshop. Staff said a bond-counsel resolution on tomorrow’s agenda would authorize the county to reimburse itself from CO proceeds after ordering equipment, allowing ordering to begin before bonds are issued. Commissioners asked for an open-house demonstration and for staff to provide the list of other counties that have adopted the vendor’s system.
