FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas must be more aggressive in replacing antiquated ballot counters and touch-screen voting machines or risk delayed results and equipment problems in the 2016 elections, election officials said Wednesday.
Election commissioners and coordinators from Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Madison and Washington counties met with several state legislators for a roundtable covering voting equipment, election schedules and other issues. Those from Benton, Crawford and Washington counties in particular said the plan to replace all 75 counties' decade-old equipment doesn't have the needed urgency.
Fast Facts
Election Systems & Software voting equipment
• Hybrid system can generate and count paper and electronic ballots
• A touch screen would be available for voters with disabilities, if not all voters
• A scanner counts ballots on-site with overall tally Election Night
• The touch screen could also tabulate votes
Source: Staff report
"We need answers," said Bill Taylor, a commissioner for Crawford County. "If we're going to do it, we need to just do it. We need to proceed."
Secretary of State Mark Martin announced Monday he had chosen Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software to replace the state's voting equipment for nearly $30 million. ES&S was the source of the current fleet of voting machines.
Much remains undecided, however. The General Assembly granted permission to spend the $30 million during its regular session, but didn't actually provide the money. No contract has been signed. The secretary's spokesman said Wednesday the goal is to have the system ready statewide by the general election, but not for the March 2016 primary.
Other forces also complicate the task, election officials said. Some may need more machines than the state plan assumes, which could cost counties tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, they said. The transition also needs to happen quickly enough to train thousands of poll workers and replace all of the old equipment, but slowly enough so smaller counties aren't overwhelmed.
A pilot program will get new equipment to just four counties in time for the primary, according to a news release from the Secretary of State's office Wednesday: Boone, Columbia, Garland and Sebastian.
"We're sort of unclear when -- and if -- we're going to get this equipment," said Max Deitchler, Washington County commissioner. "We can make the elections happen still, but heads up: There are going to be some problems, or there could be some problems potentially."
Those potential problems include batteries dying, printers failing to function and other signs of equipment age, said Jennifer Price, Washington County election coordinator. Washington, Benton and Crawford counties' officials said they need new machines in time for March because of such issues.
Price emphasized the problems wouldn't mix up or erase votes, but simply cost time and money to address.
"Voters get to cast their votes, but we may not be able to get election results out in a timely manner because of equipment failure," she said.
Not every county is impatient for the new systems. A Pulaski County official this month called the plan "a bit aggressive," saying 2017 might be a calmer and less confusing time for it. At the Wednesday meeting, officials from Madison and Carroll counties said they don't have enough people to rush through the transition.
"It would be best done in an off year," said David Hoover, Carroll commission chairman, adding the new equipment will be a major change for his rural county. "We have one polling place with an outhouse, no air conditioning and no heat."
Money is the holdup, said State Sen. Uvalde Lindsey, D-Fayetteville. State Rep. Robin Lundstrum, R-Springdale, Rep. Ron McNair, R-Alpena, and Rep. Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, also attended.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson has tens of millions of dollars in several rainy day and general improvement funds, Lindsey said. But snagging $30 million for a single project seems unlikely and politically challenging. The pilot program's $2.5 million cost is coming from the Secretary of State's budget. Election officials must lobby Hutchinson for the rest of the money, Lindsey said.
The officials suggested a middle ground, expanding the pilot program to the counties most in need while holding off for the counties that aren't ready.
"That makes too much sense," Lindsey quipped in response to the suggestion, getting laughs from the group. "That makes a convincing case, I think."
Chris Powell, the secretary of state spokesman, said his office is also working with the governor to find a money source. A spokesman for the governor didn't return a phone message requesting comment late Wednesday.
The four counties in the pilot program were chosen to get a variety of sizes and current voting procedures, he said.
"It's a complicated process, and we have been in communication with counties from around the state," Powell said in response to some officials' criticisms. A contract with ES&S could be signed in the next week or two, he added.
"This is just where we are right now in this process, and we are working hard to make this a new and modern voting system for Arkansas," Powell said. "We're excited about this moving forward."
NW News on 06/18/2015