Voting machines at heart of fight
Some election officials want new equipment, but decision is delayed.
Miami County’s elections TROY — board chairman said it was time to stop kicking down the road a decision on new voting equipment but was challenged by another board member who said he wouldn’t make up his mind without talking to more people.
Election board members debated whether to vote last week on the system they believe would best serve county voters for years to come before agreeing to delay a decision, probably until the board’s monthly meeting Sept. 25.
The board met Thursday in a special session to discuss cyber security and voting equipment, among other topics.
The county is in line to receive $1,096,490 in state funding for voting equipment to replace the touch screen voting machines purchased in 2005 with Help America Vote Act dollars.
The board has quotes on three systems from vendors Clear Ballot Group and ES&S ranging from just more than $500,000 to $1.9 million. The systems include a paper-based scanned ballot system, an electronic voting machine option and the most expensive, a hybrid system using a touch screen to mark the ballot that is printed onto paper and scanned.
Board Chairman David Fisher, a Democrat, has voiced support of a paper system.
He called for the vote Thursday. “We’ve been kicking this can down the road a long time,” he said.
Board member Ryan King, a Republican, said he would not make a decision until after with county commissioners next week and talking with county IT department representatives who sat in during the past year on vendor demonstrations of available equipment.
“I am not really close to a vote,” King said.
“You’ve seen this equipment more than the other three of us. I don’t think anything has changed,” said Fisher.
King has been on the board longer than the other three members.
“I need those two things in my back pocket” before a vote, King said of the discussions with commissioners and IT staff.
Board member Audrey Gillespie, a Democrat, said she thought the board should decide on its first and second choice of equipment, and then go the commission.
Board member Rob Long, a Republican, said he thought commission input was important.
“It’s a lot of money involved with this issue,” he said, even if the board legally has the say on the equipment selected. If the system selected would cost more than the state allocation, local dollars would be needed to complete the purchase.
New voting systems could be in use as early as the May 2019 primary.
“We are going to make a decision soon ... I think we owe it to the voters of Miami County,” Fisher said.