Board approves purchase of new VVSG‑2 voting equipment for $143,840

Floyd County election officials told the Board of Supervisors that the county’s current Hart equipment, purchased in 2016, is nearing the end of its service life and cannot be reprogrammed to meet the Election Assistance Commission’s new VVSG‑2 standard.

The county’s electoral presenter described the Vanguard voting system from Hart — including an on‑demand ballot printer, an ADA‑accessible voting device and a tabulator — as VVSG‑2 eligible and said state certification was expected in time for the June primary. The presenter emphasized security upgrades including multifactor authentication, tamper alarms and audit logs (presentation summary and equipment features; SEG 2144–2210, SEG 2190–2203).

Board members discussed timing, payment schedules and warranty/service options. Election staff said the contract would be contingent on state certification and that vendor training and maintenance packages were included in the quotation. Finance staff and supervisors discussed options for paying from contingency or budget stabilization funds.

The board voted to authorize staff to sign the quote and proceed with contract negotiation for Vanguard voting equipment, up to a net amount of $143,840. The motion was approved by recorded roll call (yes votes recorded from the supervisors present).

What’s next: staff will negotiate final contract terms, request legal review, and seek to structure payments to match certification and delivery milestones; the county will not finalize purchases until federal/state certification is confirmed.