A plan put forth by the DeSoto County Election Commission to place a minimum of two electronic poll books at each of the county’s 39 precincts at a total cost of $172,000 has been put on hold for at least another two weeks. The DeSoto County Election Commission has set aside funds to pay for the e-poll books and did not ask county supervisors Monday for any more funds to pay for the new devices. The plan for the new electronic poll books, which would eventually replace paper poll books, was approved by four of the county’s five election commissioners. District 5 Election Commissioner Tina Hill is the lone holdout, saying that she expressed reservations about implementing the e-poll books at the present time, saying that new scanners need to be purchased instead.
Election Commission Chairman Danny Klein said the M-100 scanner voting machines still have several years of life left and the new e-poll books are needed now.
“Four of us are in agreement — Tina Hill is not ready at this time,” Klein told the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors on Monday. “This is Phase I of our upgrading. We feel like this will be a good system for the county. This has been four years coming.”
A total of 50 e-poll books were purchased five years ago as a trial backup system to the paper poll books where voters’ names are registered. The 150 e-poll book machines are being purchased from the Election System and Software company of Omaha, Neb. at a cost of about $2,000 each.
Full Article: Desoto Times Tribune > News > E-poll books spark controversy.