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Parker County approves purchase of enhanced ballot duplication station for elections office
Summary
Commissioners authorized purchase of an enhanced ballot duplicate station from Enhanced Voting LLC for $15,200 plus $2,500 annual fees to streamline and document ballot duplication procedures for absentee and military ballots; the motion passed 4–1 after questions about vendor, connectivity, and procurement method.
The Parker County Commissioners Court on July 13 authorized the county judge to sign a master services agreement with Enhanced Voting LLC for an enhanced ballot production/duplicate station, a device county election staff said will reduce manual steps and provide a transparent serial‑numbered record for duplicated ballots.
"If we have this remake station, it would cut down on a lot of that, and it would be very transparent for anybody that we're going to review records of seeing how the ballot board actually processed those duplicate ballots," said the elections office staffer requesting the purchase. The staffer told commissioners the device would be used when mailed absentee and military ballots arrive damaged or cannot be scanned; the one‑time cost is $15,200 with an annual service fee of $2,500. Commissioners asked how many ballots require duplication each cycle and were told the number varies by election — "normally, we have a 100, 200 ... FPCAs," the staffer said.
Commissioners pressed for procurement details. One commissioner asked whether the system connects to the internet; county staff answered, "No," and said the device integrates with the county's Hart voting system but does not have internet access. Commissioners also asked whether Hart recommended the company and whether the purchase was sole‑sourced; staff said the vendor is available via a cooperative contract. Another commissioner asked about country of manufacture; staff said they would find out. After discussion the court approved the purchase with a 4–1 vote.
The decision follows the county's summary explanation of how duplication is required under Texas Election Code (cited in staff remarks) and reflects commissioners' emphasis on chain‑of‑custody and auditability when ballots must be duplicated. The court recorded concerns about vendor provenance and sole‑source procurements but approved the item, authorizing the judge to execute the agreement.
