Parker County commissioners were hit Monday with a financial surprise tied to voting equipment.
Elections Administrator Crickett Miller informed the court that 115 iPads used for polling pads are near their end-of-life, meaning the iOS operating systems for the 2017 machines cannot be updated any further than they already are, creating the potential for security risks.
Asked if this was something the county could've foreseen, Miller told commissioners the issue was first mentioned in November, and again in March.
The administrator presented the court with quotes, including the cheapest option — around $128,000 — from Hart InterCivic, which includes new iPads as well as the polling software provided by KnowInk. The problem, she said, was where the money would come from, with about $46,000 left in her contingency budget.
Auditor Briana Fowler said the funds would have to come from the general fund balance, which had around $197,000, but she also noted the court would have to declare an emergency in order to pull from that resource.
“When we set this budget, it was prior to November, so we didn’t know,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Jacob Holt pointed out.
Asked if there were other cheaper options, such as using Windows machines instead of Apple, Miller said that brand is the only one KnowInk uses.
IT Director James Caywood noted that the older iPads could be sold — either at auction or to a reseller, which would likely net more profit — and that money would go back into the general fund.
Miller added the drop-dead date for getting the new equipment in time for November's election would be the beginning of September.
The administrator also noted the need for more voting machines with a projected increase in voter turnout for the November presidential election.
Miller said she’d like to have 239 total DUOs, an increase of 43, to help with long lines that occurred on March 5.
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