Feb 23, 2019 4 min read

WAYNESBURG – New voting machines that include paper ballots are expected to be ready in Greene County for the May primary, which officials hope will give voters more confidence in the election process.

The Greene County commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to spend $741,888 to purchase the new voting equipment from Election Systems and Software, which also produced the electronic voting machines the county has used since 2006.

Last year, Pennsylvania elections officials announced that all voting machines must utilize a voter-verifiable paper ballot or record before 2020.

Greene County Elections Director Tina Kiger said the new voting machines are “very similar” to the current models, but with a few differences in how the vote is tallied. Voters will be able to select their choices on an electronic screen, which will then print the results on a paper ballot they can review. The voter then will place that paper ballot in a centralized scanning machine at the precinct, which will tally the votes and store the ballot in a secured container in the event a recount is requested later.

Each of Greene County’s 41 precincts will have several electronic “ballot marking devices” for voters to use and one centralized scanner. Kiger said unlike the current voting machines, the new devices do not record votes. That task is performed by the scanner, which has a memory card that keeps track of the count.

“It is an electronic pen to write down your votes,” Kiger said of the voting machine screen. “It doesn’t hold any votes.”

That will allow voters to make changes if they notice the wrong candidate was selected. Nothing is tallied until the voter slips the paper ballot into the scanner, Kiger said. Paper ballots that can be filled out by voters also will be available, if needed.

“It will make those who want a paper ballot in hand and that is marked feel more comfortable. You’ve got a paper record,” Kiger said. “I was comfortable with what we had with the (previous) electronic voting machine. This (new system) is basically a printer, and voters get to see what they selected.”

The commissioners chose Election Systems and Software after researching the process for more than a year and scheduling multiple demonstrations from three vendors over the past two months when the state Department of State certified several types of machines for use in Pennsylvania.

A proposal from Dominion would have cost $664,271, while a third proposal from Unisyn Voting Solutions was not considered viable since it did not include enough machines for each precinct. The ES&S contract includes 44 scanners, 105 ballot-marking machines and a five-year maintenance agreement and warranty.

“There was a lot of thought put into it,” Greene County Commissioner Blair Zimmerman said. “It wasn’t an easy process.”

Greene County chief clerk Jeff Marshall said ES&S was chosen because of their familiarity with the system.

“Different machines, but the same people,” he said.

The decision was made while the three county commissioners – Zimmerman, Archie Trader and Dave Coder – remained on the county elections board.

State law requires the three to leave their positions on the board if they’re running for re-election. All three have announced their intentions to run for re-election, but that process isn’t official until March 13 when nominating petitions can be filed at the elections office. After that time, Greene County President Judge Farley Toothman will appoint three temporary members to the board to serve through the end of the year.

Marshall said the decision was made now to allow the new machines to be in place for the primary and general elections this year so voters are familiar with them in time for the presidential election cycle next year. Local party leaders for both Democrats and Republicans were invited to witness the demonstrations of the new voting machines, Marshall said.

“The concern of the current elections board and staff was rolling out (the new machines) in a presidential year,” Marshall said.

Last year, Greene County received $36,351 from the federal Help America Vote Act, money that was disbursed by the state to purchase new machines. Replacing Pennsylvania’s voting machines is expected to cost $125 million statewide.

The county spent $398,330 in 2006 when it purchased the 114 machines currently in use. Although those machines still functioned as designed, election officials previously said they were beginning to reach the end of their lifespan.

Kiger also said Friday that Dunkard Township’s four voting precincts are expected to be consolidated into one location this year, most likely in Bobtown. Voters in Dunkard Township will be notified when the changes are formally announced.