Commissioners court to consider updating Nacogdoches County voting technology

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, TX (KTRE) - Nacogdoches County Commissioners Court will soon vote whether to update the aging technology at the county’s voting locations.

County election officials said the check in tablets used for voters are becoming outdated; in fact, the company who manufactured the tablets no longer exists. By replacing the older tablets with newer software, it would allow elections employees to become familiar with the newer models before the 2020 election.

“We’re just going to get a few to make sure it’s what we want,” said Todd Stallings, elections administrator for Nacogdoches County. “Ultimately, we’re going to need anywhere from 20 to 40, but we’re going to get 5 for the small election coming up in May. The way I think about it is you test drive a car before you buy it; we’re just going to buy a few... just to test the waters.”

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While Stallings said he would eventually want to look at replacing other components used in the voting process, he planned to focus on the voter check-in tablets Wednesday’s commissioners court meeting.

“These allow us to really check people in [quickly], and they don’t have to wait in line much in this county,” said Stallings. “I would attribute it, first, to our workers who are so good, but then second to these machines; it’s a lot easier than flipping through a big list of names to find people."

Stallings said the new technology will be helpful during the May 2019 local elections, but he believes it will really make it marks during the 2020 presidential elections.

“That’s kind of why we’re wanting to try this out now, to get familiar with the new stuff,” Stallings added. “We’ll have a few smaller elections with it so that when 2020 rolls around, everyone is comfortable with what we’re doing.”

Nacogdoches County Commissioners Court will meet on Wednesday, March 27 at 10 a.m. to decide whether or not to approve the proposal.

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