County plans to borrow $1.4 million for voting equipment

After years of hesitating, county officials have decided to borrow the money that’s needed to buy all new voting equipment.

As the county prepares its 2020 budget, the Johnson County Council unanimously approved borrowing more than $3.5 million on Monday, including $1.4 million to spend on new equipment from one of three election vendors, all of which are slated to present to the county’s Election Board and the public next week. Election Systems and Software, MicroVote and RBM Consulting submitted bids in July, and are in the running to be the county’s vendor for the next five years.

The council will need to vote on borrowing the money again at its next meeting Oct. 7.

The 2020 presidential primary is less than eight months away. Clerk Trena McLaughlin and the Election Board have not relented in the county’s need for new equipment after a technical failure last November left some voters waiting in lines for hours, and others not voting at all.

The county fired its previous vendor in February after an investigation by the Secretary of State’s Office revealed ES and S broke or attempted to break state election laws in configuring a workaround to get voters through. The county is renting equipment from Indianapolis-based MicroVote for this year’s municipal elections, but local election officials want to buy all new equipment before next year’s election, which is expected to produce a massive turnout. Both of those vendors are trying out for a permanent role in the county’s election process.

Demonstrations are scheduled with all three vendors on Tuesday, and will each last about an hour and a half. The public is welcome to attend and test out the equipment themselves, the board decided.

The equipment is expected to cost up to $1.6 million, which was the highest bid. The board would not release each bid to the public. Legally, it doesn’t have to, said Steve Huddleston, election board attorney.

The Election Board will choose the best vendor based on cost, qualifications and demonstrations, and bring its selection to the county’s Board of Commissioners for approval. The commissioners will enter into an agreement and sign the contract with the vendor, so they have final say.

The new contract will be for five years, according to the request for proposals.

For years, the county put off purchasing new voting equipment due to the cost, despite several urges from election officials to find the money and make the move. That left the county’s previous election equipment old and outdated.

This year, the county is renting election equipment from MicroVote, which was a quick fix that was needed after the county fired ES and S in February. That equipment was praised during the May primary election, which saw a 10 percent voter turnout, and will be used again in November.

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Here is a look at the schedule for election vendor demonstrations on Tuesday in the auditorium of the west annex, 86 W. Court St., Franklin. It is part of an Election Board meeting that is open to the public:

9 a.m. Election Systems and Software (ES and S)

11 a.m. MicroVote

2 p.m. RBM Consulting

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