Commissioners approve electronic pollbooks, ballots-on-demand

The Bosque County Commissioners Court during its meeting on Monday, June 24, 2024, approved the purchase of electronic pollbooks and ballot-ondemand machines.

The agenda item had been the subject of public comments reflecting a range of perspectives on local election security and efficiency.

During the public comment period, cybersecurity expert Dr. Jeremy McCormick raised concerns about the security of the machines being considered.

'DEF CON, a conference where elite hackers gather, has exposed multiple vulnerabilities in these machines,' he stated, emphasizing that machines from Election Systems & Software (ES&S) had been particularly problematic.

'There are several attacks that propagate like a virus to the back-end systems on the networking affecting all the results of a precinct or an entire county,' McCormick added.

Another concerned citizen Glen Pfeiffer echoed McCormick's apprehensions.

'I'm a proponent of hand-counting ballots. I don't want the machines,' he said, basing his distrust in electronic voting systems on the results of the 2020 election.

Lydia Farrar highlighted practical issues with the existing systems and the necessity for reliable technology.

'If the ballot on demand printers go down, everything shuts down. Nobody can be checked in, there's no paper ballots for them to vote on,' she said.

Farrar reminded the court that funds were available to address potential financial concerns associated with the new machines.

Bosque County Republican Party chair Marisusan Kennedy advocated for a compromise while still encouraging the commissioners to participate in a public forum on voting machines on Monday, July 29.

'I do believe that paper on demand is a good thing. It's a good compromise,' she stated, appreciating the effort put into exploring this option.

Kennedy also urged for continued dialogue and participation in a countywide public forum to further address these issues.

The outgoing Bosque County Democratic Party chair Thomas Schenck focused on the broader implications of the decision and the importance of inclusive governance.

'Our government, especially in Bosque County, should represent everybody. There's a lot of politicking going on, but we need to work together,' he said.

Schenck highlighted the dedication of poll workers and the necessity of ensuring their efforts are supported by secure and efficient systems.

Ultimately, by a 3-0 vote, the court approved the purchase of the electronic pollbooks and ballot-on-demand machines.

Bosque County Commissioner Precinct 1 Ronny Liardon acknowledged the wish for hand-counted paper ballots but stressed the need to prepare for the upcoming elections this fall.

'My worry is that if we wait till after, we're gonna be right up against the fence,' he said.

“If the meeting on the 29th is a rousing success, and it looks like it can work out, we can go from that point. If it does not, we've not waited too long to proceed.”

Liardon noted that the local political parties had not prepared presentations on the election system as he had asked for at a meeting two weeks ago.

Bosque County Commissioner Precinct 2 Terry Townley also expressed confidence in the county's election officials.

'I have confidence in Tab [Ferguson], the clerk's office and the Bosque County Elections Office. Nobody's going to change my opinion of that,' Townley said. “I’ve see them work. I’ve seen them test. All that.”

Bosque County Judge Cindy Vanlandingham and Commissioner Precinct 3 Larry Philipp were absent from the meeting.

The upcoming forum on the voting machines is scheduled at a place to be determined on Monday, July 29.

Other business The court addressed several agenda items during the regular meeting: 1. Approval of Payments: The court approved payments for claims, salaries, and wages against both county and precinct funds.

2. Emergency Management: Emergency Management Coordinator Assistant Alicia Wilson delivered the emergency manager’s report.

3. Disaster Declarations: The court extended the local disaster declarations related to COVID-19 and heavy rain/flooding for an additional seven days.

4. Monthly Reports: The May 2024 report from District Clerk Juanita Miller was received and filed, while the County Auditor's report was tabled until the next session.

5. Budget: A lineitem budget transfer was approved.

6. Tax Rate Calculation: Tax Assessor Arlene Swiney was designated as the officer responsible for calculating the county's tax rate.

7. Encroachment Permits: The court approved encroachment permit applications for Lakeside Water Supply District in Precinct 1 and James Nickels in Precinct 2.