Elections official proposes roughly $600,000 purchase of new voting machines during Erath County budget workshop

During the court’s July 13 budget workshop, Lana from the elections office briefed commissioners on equipment and staffing requests and urged consideration of a proposed purchase of new voting machines estimated at roughly $600,000.

Lana said the county’s ballot‑on‑demand printers have produced small print that has frustrated some voters and led to spoiled ballots; she recommended moving to new certified voting machines that would likely be used beginning in November 2027 and expected to last about 10 years. "The first selection we'd use would be November 2027," Lana said during her presentation.

The clerk and elections staff reviewed cost elements: the $600,000 figure would cover machines plus associated station hardware, and the county recovers a portion of equipment costs when it contracts with cities or schools (presenters noted participating entities pay their share per election). Commissioners asked for a formal cost breakdown to include in the proposed budget.

The court also discussed a proposed $1-per‑person increase for presiding election judges (presenters called it a modest retention step), with commissioners estimating the immediate budget impact at several thousand dollars. Commissioners asked staff to include the election equipment and staffing changes in preliminary budget worksheets so the court could weigh them against expected revenue.

Commissioners and staff discussed revenue projections for the budget process: court leadership described approximately $180 million in new property valuations coming onto the tax rolls, which will affect revenue forecasts and decisions on raises and service levels. The court set a target to have a proposed budget by Aug. 15 and scheduled public hearings in September.

No formal vote on the voting machine purchase occurred at this meeting; the request was entered for consideration in the budget process.