Kent County commissioners approve reallocation to buy new poll books for 2028 elections

The Kent County Board of Commissioners voted to reallocate county election funds so the Board of Elections can buy new electronic poll books required for the 2028 election cycle.

At the meeting, Shymondia Blake, election director for the Kent County Board of Elections, told commissioners the county’s current check-in devices date to 2004 and need updating. "The poll books are the equipment that we use to check voters in when they come in for election day and early voting," Blake said, describing the devices as tablet-like hardware that requires software updates. She gave a total purchase price of $127,325 and said the county needs to reallocate $63,662.50 from the current fiscal-year budget to cover the local share. Blake said staff preferred a one-time purchase rather than a multi-year financing option because of interest-rate concerns.

Commissioners asked about device lifespan and replacement timing; Blake said the existing units had lasted about 20 years and she hoped the new equipment would similarly be long-lived. A commissioner moved to approve the reallocation of existing Board of Elections funds for fiscal year 2026; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The board’s action authorizes staff to proceed with the purchase so the county’s equipment will be ready for the 2028 cycle. Blake said the state provided purchase options and that additional voting equipment (ballot scanners and accessible voting units) will be purchased in later years under separate budget items.

The meeting record indicates the reallocation was taken from existing line items where vacancies and unfilled positions left sufficient funds; commissioners noted the purchase is in the current budget and will avoid multi-year financing costs.