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Liberty County elections office finalizes May primary preparations as HB960 advances
Summary
The Liberty County Board of Elections approved technical support and equipment deposits, expanded polling resources and training, and discussed how state bill HB960 — which would allow on-demand hand‑marked ballots — could affect operations and equipment budgets for the May primary.
The Liberty County Board of Elections on March 30 approved contracts and equipment deposits and outlined staffing and training plans to prepare for the May General Primary.
Ronda Walthour, Supervisor of Elections and Chief Registrar, told the board that proofing of the May primary ballots is complete and a sample was included in members’ packets. She said the office will add more Ballot Marking Devices and extra poll workers for the May election “to alleviate any long lines.”
The board unanimously approved a Technical Support Agreement for Elections Technician Benjamin Dusenbury in the amount of $25,200. Walthour also recommended a $9,000 deposit to begin shipping D1 Hub-ADA standard equipment as part of a $20,517 authorized purchase; the deposit was approved unanimously.
Walthour said CPR/Heartsaver training for absentee in-person personnel is scheduled for March 31, with formal poll worker training beginning April 16. She asked the board to permit her overnight hotel stay to attend a proposed AI+ Elections Clinic Spring Bootcamp; the board approved the travel request.
Chair John McIver briefed members on HB960, a 2026 bill that, if adopted as amended, would require offering pre-printed, hand-marked paper ballots on demand during early voting and Election Day. “If passed, recounting ballots could be at least four (4) times per election,” McIver said, warning that the measure could create operational burdens for smaller counties and require unplanned equipment purchases and new procedures for posting elector lists.
Walthour said the county has already purchased about $16,000 in ballot stock that could be unusable if the county changed formats, and cautioned that giving poll workers responsibility for issuing on-demand hand-marked ballots would require extensive training and raise the chance of human error. She advised that voters who want a hand-marked paper ballot should request an absentee ballot.
Voter registration totals reported at the meeting showed 38,042 active voters, 6,320 inactive voters, for a total of 44,362 eligible voters in Liberty County.
The board set a follow-up meeting for April 27 and adjourned at 5:15 p.m.
