Winston County Circuit Clerk Kim Ming knew it was time to update the election equipment as preparations for the 2019 elections.
“The election equipment was very dated. It was purchased in 2005 and 13 years is a long time for computers,” said Ming.
Ming and the Winston County Election Commissioners recommended a new paper ballot system to the Winston County Board of Supervisors last year and received a demonstration of one such system during the December Board of Supervisors meeting.
Across the country, most voting places like Winston County moved away from paper ballots after the 2004 Help America Vote Act provided some funds to counties and others to purchase new equipment but like Winston County many areas of the country are moving back to paper ballots.
“The old electronic system was secure but the new machines with the paper ballot is more secure, provides a paper trail of the vote and many voters are more comfortable with the paper ballots,” said Ming.
Winston County when it returns to the paper ballots with the upcoming elections will be like two-dozen other states and the District of Columbia.
While electronic voting machines were once viewed as a substantial upgrade over paper but represented other pitfalls.
With the new paper ballot system, a voter will mark their votes on a ballot and place the ballot in a scan machine which automatically tallies the vote.
One ballot counting machine will be at each polling place with one backup machine available at the Fairgrounds polling place.
“This will reduce the amount of equipment that is need to be hauled to each voting precinct,” said Ming.
The ballot system should improve curbside voting with a simple paper ballot carried to the curb for the voters who require the service.
Ming noted that the county and election commissioners aim to have the paper ballot system in place for the August primary.
“We hope to be ready to vote using the new system in August,” said Ming.
Ming added that she hoped the paper balloting system would get more persons to the polls and encourage some of those voting absentee to vote on the day of the election with the new system.
Also, experts on elections denote that the paper ballot system provides a paper trail can be accessed and audited if any concerns with how votes are counted.
In March, Congress allocated $380 million in state grants to spend on election reform. Much of it is intended to pay for updating current systems and implementing post-election audits.
Winston County will be applying for $24,000 grant from the portion of those funds distributed to Mississippi.
The new paper balloting system for 1 machine for each precinct plus a backup at the Fairgrounds along with training, setup and maintenance will be around $141,900.
Along with the grant the county is seeking, the Winston County Circuit Clerk’s office has almost $40,000 in election funds to apply to the purchase.
The Winston County Board of Supervisors put out a bid for the new balloting system on January 7, 2019. The Supervisors will open bids 10:00 am on February 4, 2019.
The proposed system does have equipment for the blind and disable to work which will mark the paper ballot as well.
