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County clerk flags $900,000 estimate for voting panels; proposes iPad pilot to cut ballot-printing costs
Summary
La Porte County clerk told commissioners a vendor estimate for replacement voting panels is roughly $899,442; she proposed buying refurbished tablets to display ballots at vote centers as a cost-saving alternative and said grant opportunities are being pursued.
The county clerk (S21) told commissioners on Wednesday that the county is facing a substantial expense to replace aging voting panels and printers, and she urged the council to consider alternatives to repeated printing of combined-precinct paper ballots.
“Right now, they’re saying that this number is good for 60 days,” the clerk said, referring to a vendor estimate for modern voting panels and related printers. She gave a current estimate of $899,442.11 for the panels plus an additional roughly $30,000 for printers.
The clerk explained the cost pressure arises because current panels are long past their typical service life, parts are scarce and unit prices are rising. She said the county spends several thousand dollars each cycle on printing vote-center ballots that include every precinct’s choices and that the county has explored using refurbished tablets or iPads at vote centers so voters can scroll precinct ballots rather than the county printing hundreds of thick paper ballots.
“I'm gonna come to you. I wanna buy refurbished iPads or tablets that we can put this on and they can scroll and find it, and then we can reuse them each time rather than we're literally throwing this money away,” S21 said.
S21 said the devices could also assist voters with visual impairments by allowing font enlargement, and that some other counties are already piloting similar approaches. She also noted she continues to seek grant funding, including through the Help America Vote Act and state election-security grants.
There was no final vote on a capital purchase at the hearing. Commissioners asked the clerk for a capital-asset plan and a clearer budget path; the clerk said she would resend estimates and materials and return with more precise procurement numbers for the council to consider during final budget deliberations.
Next steps: The clerk will provide the council with a copy of the capital-asset estimate, pursue grant options, and return with a recommendation that compares the recurring cost of paper ballots with the purchase and maintenance cost for reusable display devices.
