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Voting machines to be upgraded to comply with new law
By Derek Hodges
A new state law that has led some counties to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on new voting equipment will actually mean a little extra cash for Jackson County.
The new regulations, passed earlier this year, require all voting machines in the county to supply a paper copy of the electronic ballot. The move will allow for double checking by election officials in close or disputed votes, and will help make votes more secure.
According to county Manager Ken Westmoreland, Jackson County was allotted $200,000 by the General Assembly for the needed updates. With that money the county will purchase new software, printers for the voting machines and larger booths to accommodate the new equipment.
“Our voting machines are OK,” Westmoreland said. “What we’re going to have to do is retrofit the old machines in larger platforms.”
To accommodate the upgrades, the booths will have to be expanded about three inches, Westmoreland said.
According to Board of Elections Director Lisa Lehman, the purchases will require a resolution approved by the members of the elections board. That should be an easy vote, though, she said.
“I don’t see why that wouldn’t pass,” Lehman said.
The board will meet again on Wednesday, Jan. 11.
In addition to the upgrades, the money provided by the state will also buy several new machines for the more populated precincts, Westmoreland said.
While the law also requires all voting booths to be accessible to the handicapped, Jackson County’s units already meet that standard, Westmoreland said.
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