Vendor says missing data field caused PollPad outage; residents and candidates press county for accountability

A vendor software issue was the county27s explanation for a March 3 election-day PollPad check-in outage that left dozens of El Paso voters delayed or turned away, but the explanation prompted prolonged public criticism and calls for accountability at the commissioner's court on March 23.

What the vendor said Steel Shippey, chief strategy officer for Know Inc (the PollPad vendor), told the court that a software change introduced a required timestamp data field that El Paso County27s account configuration did not contain. "On March 3, a majority of those devices deployed for election day did not display that prompt," Shippey said. "No ballot was changed. No vote was counted. No vote count was altered. Every voter who checked in on the electronic system or on paper cast their ballot and had it counted." (Steel Shippey, Know Inc).

Shippey said the error was not evident during early voting because device preparation and syncing during the early-voting period masked the missing field; a consolidation step the Saturday before election day rebuilt election-day device files and reintroduced the gap. Know Inc delivered a corrected update around 10:35 a.m. that morning and later provided a technical briefing to county staff and the Texas secretary of state.

County response and near-term steps Elections Administrator Lisa Wise told commissioners the department will immediately include sealed paper combination forms in every kit (they had been removed from some kits previously to reduce waste) and will seek expanded pre-election site setup where possible so staff can detect problems before polls open. Wise said the office is also re-evaluating device-verification steps and is coordinating with the county attorney and vendor to pursue remediation and to limit future disruptions.

Public reaction More than a dozen public commenters—including both party chairs, an alternate precinct judge, candidates and veterans—expressed anger and alarm at the outage. Michael Abboud, chairman of the El Paso County Republican Party, said the failure was "absolutely wrong" and urged the court to take action beyond vendor promises. Several commenters said they believed many voters did not return after being turned away during morning hours.

Vendor offers and county costs Know Inc offered to provide dedicated on-site technical support at no additional charge for the next two election cycles and said it is open to negotiations to address costs the county incurred for extended polling time and emergency supplies. Commissioners and County staff indicated they will pursue follow-up discussions with the vendor about any county-incurred expenses.

Why this matters The outage affected voter check-in and not tabulation, officials said, but public trust and turnout were central themes at the hearing: election judges, voters and candidates stressed that even short check-in delays can prevent people from casting ballots during peak windows (morning, lunch and after-school hours) and can leave a lasting impression about the integrity and reliability of the process.

What happens next County elections staff will strengthen pre-election verification, restore paper combination forms to sealed kits, and seek contractual clarifications about on-site support; Know Inc said it has audited accounts statewide to identify and correct similar data conditions and will continue to coordinate with the county and the secretary of state. Commissioners suggested further public education and outreach to clarify how check-in devices relate to ballot tabulation and to explain contingency procedures.

Sources and attribution This article quotes directly from presentations and public comments recorded at the March 23, 2026 El Paso County Commissioners Court meeting, including statements by Steel Shippey and Lisa Wise, and public commenters Michael Abboud, election judges and local candidates.