FAYETTEVILLE -- An Omaha, Neb., company that provided Arkansas' voting equipment a decade ago gave election officials from four counties a demonstration of its latest technology here Tuesday.
Election Systems & Software presented new ballot and counting systems and took questions from election coordinators and commissioners from Benton, Crawford, Sebastian and Washington counties. ES&S is one of three companies jostling for the state's contract to replace equipment in time for the 2016 presidential election.
Voting machines
The final voting machine demonstration, from Hart InterCivic, was scheduled for May 4 but has been moved back about a week, said Jennifer Price, Washington County election coordinator. The exact date will be set during an Election Commission meeting at 9 a.m. today in Room 115 of the county courthouse in Fayetteville.
Source: Staff Report
California-based Unisyn Voting Solutions brought its offerings earlier this month; Hart InterCivic in Texas plans to come by next month. The General Assembly last week authorized up to $30 million for whichever company makes the best case to state officials. The money is set to become available in July if it gets funded through the state budget.
"It's all in the hands of the state," said Kim Dennison, Benton County election coordinator.
Two ES&S managers showed a system largely similar to Unisyn's, blending paper and electronic, touch-screen ballots. Most voters would fill out a paper ballot, which a machine would then count on the spot instead of at the end of Election Day.
ES&S could also provide a touch screen intended for voters with a disability but can also be used by others. The machine would print out a ticket counted on site. Hart offers a similar system, according to its website. Unlike Unisyn's, the touch-screen component could also be programmed to count votes cast with it.
"We're about the only company that has a next-generation DRE (direct-recording electronic) out there," said Craig Seibert, state sales manager for ES&S. "It's pretty slick."
The system would also need software similar to what counties use now, cutting down the needed training.
"I'm liking what I see," Dennison said.
Both companies showed "great systems," but the touch-screen counting stood out, she said. Benton County uses touch screens entirely, she noted. "That's what our voters are used to."
Washington County's Election Commission plans to meet today to talk more about the two presentations, election coordinator Jennifer Price said after Tuesday's demonstration.
"I was really impressed -- whatever ES&S came with, they were really going to have to wow us," Price said. "We're going to have a hard choice."
The General Assembly vote for the project is encouraging, Price added. Senate Bill 277 sets maximums for several projects, including voting equipment and repairs at the Capitol, and was sent to the governor Feb. 19.
"I think everyone's in agreement that we need new voting equipment, that this is what it's going to cost," she said. "Now the question is do we have the money to fill that $30 million."
The secretary of state's office oversees the vendor approval process. Spokeswoman Laura Labay echoed Price's caution about the money when asked about the bill.
"We are attempting to gain funding" from the Legislature, Labay wrote in an email. "No funding has been secured at this time."
NW News on 02/25/2015