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Christie Latham, Stephens County Tax Assessor-Collector/Election administrator addresses the Stephens County Commissioners on the needed update to election security. The county approved an agenda item to update the county’s election security and softwar
Stephens County commissioners approved the purchase quote submitted for the election systems and software and will update the county’s election security for the upcoming Presidential election.
The new software will include a precinct scanner and expressvote ballot marking device. The commissioners decided during the Monday, June 22 meeting at the Stephens County Courthouse.
“This is a follow up on the election security assessment that we had a couple of months ago,” Christie Latham, Stephens County Tax Assessor-Collector/ Election administrator said. “It was highly recommended to replace our antiquated MC50, which is our central tabulating machine along with another machine that we take to each precinct. This proposal will replace both of those. There were several security issues with the old equipment and it was outdated.”
The county would have the opportunity to take advantage of the “Help Make America Vote” grant and the various election security grants that are being provided by the state/ federal government and are only available to the end of the year.
The grants account for 80% of the total amount for the update and Stephens County would pay 20% or $14,000 to update election security. The cost will also include training officials for proper use of the new system.
“There are also really good advantages other than security issues that this new security will provide,” Latham said. “These machines will be placed at each precinct and as citizens vote, instead of putting votes in an empty ballot box, they’ll insert it into these machines. The machines will tabulate and if the voter over or undervote, the machine will ask if the vote was done on purpose and allow the voter to correct before submitting their ballot. At the end of the election day, the judges will remove the USB and bring it to use and we have the votes immediately instead of counting each vote.”
The updated machines will work in conjunction with the Americans with Disabilities Act and will assist those with disabilities vote in the upcoming election.
Stephens County officials are looking for the new election software to be in use for the upcoming 2020 Presidential election.
