Lunenburg County electoral board flags vendor support crisis for electronic poll books
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Summary
At its May 7 meeting the board discussed a vendor (Demtech) telling jurisdictions it will not support electronic poll books once contracts lapse, an issue the minutes say affects about 97 Virginia jurisdictions and prompted calls for a temporary state solution.
Lunenburg County’s Electoral Board spent a portion of its May 7 meeting discussing vendor support for its electronic poll books (EPBs), raising concerns that could affect the June primary.
The minutes say board members reviewed a report that the company now owning Demtech has fired staff and indicated it will not provide support for EPBs in Virginia after existing contractual obligations expire. According to the minutes, the board noted this problem affects roughly 97 jurisdictions statewide and urged that the State identify a temporary solution until Demtech can restore support.
Why it matters: EPBs are used at polling places to check in voters and verify voter records on election day; loss of vendor support could disrupt operations for jurisdictions that rely on the devices unless short-term measures are found.
The minutes record that board members expressed confidence they could manage local operations “until then,” but they also emphasized the need for a broader solution at the state level. The Registrar presented the issue to the board but the minutes do not attribute the discussion to a single named speaker nor provide a timeline from the vendor.
No formal motion or vote related to the Demtech matter is recorded in the minutes. The board’s entry notes the concern and the expectation that the State should be able to provide a temporary remedy while longer-term vendor support is resolved.
Next steps: The minutes do not record a specific follow-up assignment, vendor contact list, or a schedule for further action; those items were not specified in the text.