Oct 18, 2018 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – Greene County Elections Director Tina Kiger was hoping to already have purchased the county’s new voting machines by now.

But her hands are tied, at the mercy of state approval of machines that will keep a paper record of voters’ choices.

Only one system from Unisyn Voting Solutions, based in California, has been certified so far, and Kiger said Greene County is not considering those machines.

The Greene County commissioners announced at their Thursday meeting that they were set to receive $36,351.40 from the federal Help America Vote Act security upgrade dispersed by the state. The rest of the cost of new machines will need to be picked up locally.

Kiger is unsure how much the actual total could amount to without knowing what machines will be permitted for use in the state. One quote from Election Systems and Software came in at $596,907. Another one, which has since been knocked out of the running, was for about $1 million.

“None of the systems (Greene County is considering) are certified at this time,” Kiger said. “It’s frustrating when we’re being told we have to do this but we can’t do anything until things are certified.”

The timetables keep shifting, but Kiger said she was last informed that two more companies are set to be approved by the end of the year. There is also concern that providing enough machines for the statewide demand might be an issue.

In February, the state required all voting systems purchased going forward must employ a voter-verifiable paper ballot or record. Then, counties were mandated in early April to buy new machines that would keep a paper trail by the end of 2019. Officials were expecting to deploy the new systems for the November 2019 general election, but were given a firm Dec. 31 deadline. Replacing Pennsylvania’s voting machines is expected to cost $125 million statewide. 

Kiger previously said the county was looking at two particular brands that had yet to be approved, but they were hopeful they would be ready by the end of the year. The expectation was to have vendors give presentations this past summer.

The county’s 114 current machines, purchased for $398,330 in 2006, still work well but are approaching the end of the expected lifespan.

“I love our machines. I don’t see a problem with them,” Kiger said, adding that she understands the physical record ensures voter confidence in a fair election and could assist in recounts. 

Kiger said if the county is able to make a purchase before the end of the year, the machines could be ready for November 2019, but she wasn’t confident that they could be prepared in time for the primary. She’s worried about the training her staff will need to undergo.

For the upcoming election, absentee ballot applications are due to the elections office by Oct. 30, with the ballots themselves needing to be returned by Nov. 2.

Kiger said she is always in need of people to work at polling places, so anyone who is interested can get in touch with her office.

The Greene County elections office is on the first floor of the Greene County Office Building at 93 E. High St. in Waynesburg. The phone number for the office is 724-852-5230, and the hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.