Preparations for the 2018 election cycle are in full swing at the Lyon County Elections Office.
That includes the recent delivery of the county’s new voting machines. In February, Lyon County commissioners approved the purchase of nearly 100 voting machines from ES&S at a cost of around $450,000. Part of the reason ES&S was chosen, according to County Clerk Tammy Vopat, is its equipment was the best choice for the county when it comes to vote security.
In addition, Elections Office staffers program the county’s ballots, so there is no possibility for outside influence or contact to sway upcoming elections.
Vopat says the general concept is the same, but the technology is much advanced — even with more emphasis on the tried-and-true paper ballot.
Voters will be given a barcode and a narrow-sized piece of paper. The voter will then scan the barcode for the proper touch-screen ballot and also insert the paper for a hard copy. After making the initial selections, voters can review their choices on the ballot screen and again when they print out their ballot.
The equipment purchased in February has replaced touch-screen tabulators originally purchased in 2000 or 2001.
The Elections Office is planning a mock election May 14 at the Fairgrounds Anderson Building. Vopat will join KVOE’s 8:05 am newscast Friday with more information on the mock election.
