The secretary of state’s office believes that just over two-thirds of the state’s counties will have new voting equipment by the time of the November general election. In one of the latest developments, the office has signed contracts with 10 counties to provide new voting equipment to them with the counties and the state splitting the tab, the chief deputy in the secretary of state’s office said Friday. Chief Deputy Kelly Boyd said he expects similar contracts to be signed with 11 other counties soon, and on top of that, 10 other counties are working with the office to finalize voting equipment requirements to clear the way for signing contracts. Twenty-one of the state’s 75 counties used the new voting equipment provided by Nebraska’s Election Systems & Software during the May 22 primaries, he said.
“It is my hope right now that we have 52 counties and 66 percent of the registered voters in the state capable of voting on new equipment in November, and then I don’t know where it will go after that,” Boyd said in an interview.
… Republican Land Commissioner John Thurston of East End, Democrat and veteran election official Susan Inman of Little Rock and Libertarian Chris Olson of Viola are vying to succeed Martin in the Nov. 6 general election.
The secretary of state’s office expects to spend $11.04 million for new equipment already in place, under contract or contracts under final preparation, and for the counties to spend $8.17 million toward their new voting equipment, according to figures provided by Boyd.
Full Article: State, counties working to upgrade election gear.