Election Tech

Officials have agreed to spend nearly $1 million on electronic voter check-in systems that will enable virtual sign-language services for deaf voters. Each polling place will have at least two tablets with the software.

A simulated election and vote count test was a success this week — among the final steps before the county’s board of elections will propose buying new equipment. Current systems are aging but secure.

The county purchased new electronic poll pads to check in voters during the May 3 municipal elections. Its elections administrator said the local government has tested the devices and is ready for the upcoming contests.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate talked about the federal government’s changes to cybersecurity funding and said he “would not want to see” programs go away. The state, he said, does “count a lot on those cyber protections.”

A federal judge has dismissed an epic court case challenging Georgia’s touchscreen voting system, ending the seven-year lawsuit that uncovered election security vulnerabilities and a breach in Coffee County.

The lawsuit alleges robocalls that used a copy of former President Joe Biden’s voice generated by artificial intelligence could have “long-lasting and detrimental” impacts on voters.

Somerset County is expected to use a new electronic poll book process during this year’s general election in November after county commissioners voted unanimously to purchase an ExpressPoll system.

State officials have hired Civix to provide new software, updating its voter registration database and election management system. Its current solution is more than 20 years old, and is now used only by Pennsylvania.

Cuts to CISA and the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force have secretaries of state and municipal clerks worried about the security of voter registration databases and other critical election systems.

The Texas county’s commissioners court approved a contract for 4,500 poll pad devices, plus licensing and support services for two years. The pollbooks will replace devices that malfunctioned during the Nov. 5 election.

With the clock ticking on a municipal election, Dallas County officials are moving to ensure electronic poll book software functions as intended. Less than four months remain to resolve a malfunction from last year.

Among its allocations of federal American Rescue Plan Act monies, Northampton County has committed around $20.6 million for uses including broadband deployment, and $1.6 million for election security.

The state has committed to replacing its current campaign finance reporting system with a solution that may be easier to use than its current one. Like the old system, the new one will enable disclosure of campaign contributions and related details.

The audit, the first of its kind, demonstrated a nearly identical match to the count done on election night, using tech to read the text on all 5.3 million Georgia ballots. Nearly all inconsistencies were caused by unclear marks on absentee ballots that required human review.

Experts at a Congressional Internet Caucus Academy briefing this week explored the role artificial intelligence played in the 2024 election, and the ways policy helped to reduce its negative impacts.

The director of the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency cautioned Monday this election cycle has seen an “unprecedented amount” of false information. That includes content from foreign adversaries designed to undermine the nation’s democracy.

A new language translation solution in Athens-Clarke County, Ga., aims to expand voter access and turnout by residents with limited English proficiency. Ensuring everyone can participate is vital, the county elections director said.

Mailers in the Golden State reading “Who you vote for is private, but whether you vote is public record” are intended to get out the vote but could intimidate, an expert said. Maryland and Virginia residents have reportedly received similar fliers.