WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Local elections are less than two months away, but officials in one county are already looking to improve the process in the future. While it won't happen this election cycle, the possibility of new, high-tech voting machines could play a significant role in that process.
28/22 News Reporter Avery Nape was at a voting machine demonstration on Tuesday in Luzerne County.
The spotlight always seems to be on Luzerne County due to polling issues in previous elections.
Tuesday's demonstration won't change anything this November. Still, it might be after their current contract for voting machines ends later this year, which would open the door to much-needed improvements and financial savings.
Tuesday's voting machine demonstration by Hart InterCivic provided Luzerne County officials with an opportunity to look into the future of voting in the county.
The county currently uses machines from Dominion Voting Systems. Still, the five-year contract is set to expire at the end of the year, prompting them to explore the possibility of a new provider.
"We went through a series of RFP's from various vendors, reviewed and evaluated all of those submissions, and then made our recommendation to the election board and then subsequently county council," Luzerne County Director of Elections Emily Cook said.
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Among the benefits touted by Hart representatives are improved security features, such as two-factor authentication and alarms for sensitive areas of the machines, as well as a limited network features, making them less vulnerable to security breaches. The machines also have streamlined interfaces and software.
"The recommendation that we've made with Hart Intercivic would really streamline a lot of the processes for voters at the polls, for poll workers, training would be significantly easier," Cook added.
In the bureau's proposal to the county council last Tuesday, the five-year lease agreement would cost $574,000 annually, which is on par with the current contract.
Costs associated with election preparations, though, they say, would drop drastically from around $850,000 per election year to around $245,000.
While the proposal has not been approved yet, Cook is confident that this is the right move.
"We are very secure in our recommendation that we are recommending the best option for the voters of Luzerne County and for the Bureau of Elections," stated.
The county council is set to vote on the proposal next Tuesday, September 23, at 6:00 p.m.
