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Hart InterCivic's John Thompson answers questions after a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Hart InterCivic's Simon Saenz assists Sam Moffitt as he casts a ballot during a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Stacie Hill looks on as Sam Moffitt tests Hart InterCivic's voting machines during a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Audience members listen during Hart InterCivic's presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Audience members listen during Hart InterCivic's presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Hart InterCivic's Simon Saenz talks with Clifton Simoneaux and Joan Yates during a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Hart InterCivic made a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Hart InterCivic's Simon Saenz assists Sam Moffitt as he casts a ballot during a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Hart InterCivic's John Thompson talks about the details of their system during a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Stacie Hill looks on as Sam Moffitt tests Hart InterCivic's voting machines during a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Audience members take in Hart InterCivic's presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Hart InterCivic made a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Hart InterCivic's John Thompson talks about the details of their system during a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Hart InterCivic's John Thompson answers questions after a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Hart InterCivic's John Thompson talks about the details of their system during a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Hart InterCivic's John Thompson talks about the details of their system during a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Stacie Hill looks on as Sam Moffitt tests Hart InterCivic's voting machines during a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Hart InterCivic's Simon Saenz talks with Clifton Simoneaux and Joan Yates during a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Audience members listen during Hart InterCivic's presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Hart InterCivic's Simon Saenz walks through the vote casting machine with Paulette Burrhus, Clifton Simoneaux and Joan Yates during a presentation and demonstration of their voting machine system to poll workers and the public Wednesday in the Jefferson County Courthouse. Photo made Wednesday, June 8, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s Tucker Omel details the company's voting system with help from the audience during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s Tucker Omel details the company's voting system during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s Tucker Omel details the company's voting system during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
From left, Edra Bogucki and Tracy Arline were first to try out ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s voting machines during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s Tucker Omel details the company's voting system during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s Matt Kunz (left) and Chris Moody set up the voting machines during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s Tucker Omel details the company's voting system during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s Matt Kunz (left) and Chris Moody set up the voting machines during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branck listens as ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s Tucker Omel details the features of their voting system during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s ballot casting machine was shown during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Poll workers and others try out ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s voting machines during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s Tucker Omel details the company's voting system during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Tracy Arline (right) and Edra Bogucki try out the ES&S (Election Systems & Software) voting machines during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
The audience listens as ES&S (Election Systems & Software) offers a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
ES&S (Election Systems & Software)'s Chris Moody assists Edra Bogucki (right) and Deryl Holden as they cast their ballots during a presentation and demo of their voting machine system to the public and poll workers at the Jefferson County Courthouse Tuesday. The county is looking to replace its current electronic ballot system. Photo made Tuesday, June 7, 2022. Kim Brent/The Enterprise
Jefferson County will soon get new voting machines to comply with state law.
Two companies vying for the county's contract presented their products to residents gathered at the Jefferson County Courthouse in the hopes to garner their support before the county commissioners decide who to move forward with.
Election Systems & Software and Hart Intercivic presented their machines in the jury empaneling room on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon respectively. The presentations lasted multiple hours each and each company provided demonstrations, explanations, a chance for members of the audience to ask questions and an opportunity for those in attendance to test out the machines themselves before taking a survey.
As the state of Texas transitions to paper-based voting by 2026, Jefferson County is one of three counties eligible for a grant from the Secretary of State for $3.2 million. However to get the money, the county has to install the new voting machines by the 2022 November elections.
Here are five things to know about the options:
1. The machines resemble each other.
“These companies are very similar,” said county clerk Laurie Leister. “These companies offer basically the same thing and there are little idiosyncrasies that are differences between the two. There’s really not a whole lot of difference.”
2. Both companies offer ADA accommodations.
Every machine ES&S presents is ADA accessible. There is a special braille keypad for blind voters, for example, and voting options can be read aloud to people who are visually impaired. The screen can be turned off if it will not serve a purpose for a particular voter.
Also, there is a capability for voters who are paralyzed or parapleigic to cast their ballot using their breath through a sip-and-puff device.
Hart Intercivic has made their voting machine tactile for voters who are visually impaired. All machines come with headphones for those who would like to have the ballot read to them. The screen can be turned off to give the voter privacy.
Font sizes can be increased for those who do not need the audio option and the contrast of black words on a white background or white words on a black background can be customized for comfort. There are “landing lights” and ridges to indicate where voters with disabilities should place their ballot. There is a place to plug in a sip-and-puff device.
All of the booths are wheelchair accessible and low to the ground.
3. ES&S is advertising a machine that has Intelligent Mark Recognition and Positive Target Recognition & Alignment Compensation technologies to reduce the number of ballots that require manual adjudication, which can be time consuming.
Data is stored on certified flash drives and there are backup flash drives imbedded in the machines in case of accidents. The system also alerts voters when they have not filled out their entire ballot and reminds them that they have that option.
4. Hart Intercivic presented a machine that is never connected to the internet. The company provides a voter-verified paper audit trail.
Each device has an audit log, allowing poll workers to check how many people came to vote against how many ballots have been cast. The entire system was designed, developed and manufactured in Texas.
5. The county is trying to move quickly on making a decision. Surveys have been returned. For Tuesday’s demonstration, 30 of the 66 signed-in attendees filled out a survey. There was a slightly smaller turnout on Wednesday.
The Jefferson County Commissioners will receive their own workshop about the voting machines on Wednesday.
“I think they will vote the following Tuesday,” Leister said. “They want to get it done.”
Rachel Kersey is the local government reporter for The Beaumont Enterprise.