Title
Purchase of North Carolina State Board of Elections Approved Voting Equipment
Action:
Action:
Authorize the County Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with Election System & Software (ES&S), a State-approved voting equipment provider, for the acquisition of 2400 ExpressVote Ballot Marking Devices and 350 DS-200 Precinct Ballot Tabulators and related equipment and maintenance of said equipment at prices guaranteed in response to the state RFP
Staff Contact: Michael Dickerson
Presentation: Yes
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
Before any election equipment can be used in North Carolina elections, it must be certified by the N.C. State Board of Elections (SBE). This ensures that voting systems remain reliable, accurate, user-friendly, accessible to persons with disabilities, and capable of secure operation
G.S. §163-165.7(a): states that only voting systems certified by the SBE in accordance with state law and the SBE certification program shall be permitted for use in elections in North Carolina. In December 2019 the current voting machines were decertified by the state and beginning in 2020 the new voting systems must produce a paper ballot
On August 23, 2019, the State Board of Elections certified three new voting systems
- Clear Ballot: ClearVote 1.4
- Elections Systems & Software (ES&S): EVS 5.2.2.0 and EVS 5.2.4.0 (12/13/19)
- Hart InterCivic: Verity Voting 2.2
Clear Ballot requested an administrative upgrade approval to its system and ES&S requested a version upgrade, and on December 13, 2019 the state approved the modifications to ensure they have the best possible voting equipment for all voters.
Under G.S. §163-37 and 165.8 the board of county commissioners, with the approval of the county board of elections, may adopt and acquire only a voting system of a type, make, and model certified by the State Board. A county Board of Commissioners “shall appropriate reasonable and adequate funds necessary for the legal functions of the county...
Click here for full text