Polk County officials briefed on state-funded ballot duplication machine; IGA to appear on next consent calendar

Polk County elections staff on Jan. 7 briefed the Board of Commissioners on an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) under which the Oregon Secretary of State will provide Polk County one ballot duplication "remix" station paid for through a federal EASE grant.

The presenter identified in the transcript as Kim told the board the station is designed to print voted UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) ballots and create an electronic audit log for duplicated ballots, reducing hand duplication and improving transparency. "The state will fund all software services and maintenance through the term of this agreement," Kim said, adding that the title will transfer to the county after the agreement expires on 07/14/2029, "subject to federal authorization." The presenter also said there is no fee associated with the agreement to the county.

Why it matters: County elections staff said the machine should speed processing of military and overseas ballots, provide an auditable duplication log and reduce the county's ballot-stock costs over time. The clerk's office reported spending $54,453 on ballot printing last year and said printing some ballots in-house could lower inventory needs.

Key details: Kim explained the station can duplicate damaged ballots that will not pass the tabulator, print ballots from a touchscreen interface and generate an electronic audit trail. Examples of ballot-stock pricing cited were $9.45 for a 250-sheet package and $20.48 for a 500-sheet package. The presenter estimated annual maintenance and software support at about $3,000 in today's dollars if Polk County keeps the machine after the IGA term ends.

Board questions focused on auditability and public transparency. Commissioners asked how replacement ballots would be tracked and whether the process would flag voters who had already returned ballots; Kim said the office will continue to use the state voter registration system to tie barcodes and labels to voter records and to run audit reports. Kim also proposed inviting observers and live-streaming demonstrations during training and the primary to increase transparency.

Timeline and next steps: Kim said the county's goal is to have the machine in place and tested by the primary so it can be assessed before the general election. The county will receive training from the vendor and the presenter invited commissioners and observers to watch processing once staff are trained. The board indicated the IGA will be placed on next week's consent calendar for a formal procedural action.

Quotes from the meeting: Kim said, "The state will fund all software services and maintenance through the term of this agreement." Chair commented on county options, saying in part, "The federal government said, here, have this new machine," and later joked about tightening a "tinfoil hat," reflecting concern about accepting federal equipment without local review.

What the board did not decide: The board did not approve the IGA during the Jan. 7 meeting; commissioners agreed to place the item on the consent calendar at a subsequent meeting for formal action.

Reported figures and limitations: Polk County was described as allocated one remix station based on voter registration counts; the presenter reported 64,216 registered voters in the county. Presenter gave the past year printing cost ($54,453) and estimated maintenance ($3,000/year) but said the state did not disclose the replacement machine purchase price. The presenter also corrected an earlier misspoken expiration year during the presentation; the IGA term as stated in the corrected transcript is to expire on 07/14/2029.