Contra Costa supervisors approve consent calendar after public concerns about voting machines
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Summary
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the consent calendar (C1–C129) after public commenters alleged vulnerabilities in voting equipment; supervisors and election officials on the dais defended the county’s safeguards and said machines are not internet‑connected.
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the consent calendar covering items C1 through C129 after brief public comment disputing the security of local voting equipment.
During the public comment period, a caller identified as Elizabeth Ritchie urged the board to pull the election‑related consent items and return to paper ballots. “The machines are hackable,” she said, arguing motherboards on some devices include modems and suggesting hand‑counted, precinct‑based paper ballots as an alternative.
Supervisor Candace Anderson, who said she has consulted with the county clerk‑recorder’s office, pushed back on that characterization. “Our voting machines are not connected to the internet. Safeguards are in place that you could not hack into our machines,” Anderson said, adding that election security is taken seriously in the county.
Supervisor Chanel Smales Preston moved to approve the consent calendar; Vice Chair Ken Carlson seconded. The board approved the motion by voice vote with all five supervisors recorded as yes.
The board did not open a policy debate on election administration—the comments were taken during general public comment and no board action on the underlying equipment was scheduled. The clerk of the board recorded the unanimous vote approving the consent calendar; no changes to voting procedures were made at the meeting.
