New voting machines in sight

By the time the next election comes around in June 2022, a federal election, Marshall County residents will likely go to polls equipped with new voting equipment, according to circuit clerk Monet Autry.

HAVA (Help America Vote Act) has provided $111,666 the county can put toward purchase of new voting equipment.

Autry is visiting counties that have the new voting equipment in use for November 2 elections to learn more about the machines. Marshall County has no election set for November 2.

Costs to upgrade to new equipment, that will also print out a paper ballot for the record, could run between $200,000 and $250,000, she said.

Three companies are supplying new voting equipment, Autry said.

District 4 supervisor George Zinn III asked if the equipment will be easier for voters to operate.

Autry said the equipment is set up like a laptop computer and prints a paper ballot when a voter casts a ballot.

The Marshall County election commissioners will train on the new equipment then teach others to use it, she said.

“Old people are afraid of new things, but people who do elections think it’s simple to use,” Autry said. “Different companies will have different maintenance agreements with the counties but the equipment is almost maintenance free.”

Zinn said it is rumored the equipment the county uses is not tamper proof.

The old voting machines are not connected to the Internet and the only time the election results ever cross the Internet is when the election tallies are sent to the Secretary of State’s office electronically, Autry said.

“In your opinion are the machines outdated?” Zinn asked.

“Very outdated,” Autry said. “We always need to upgrade, but we need to know what it is going to cost,” said District 5 supervisor Ronnie Joe Bennett.

Courthouse cameras Autry turned to a recent incident when material was left on the courthouse steps that included a hand written note, a homemade cross and feces.

“My concern is there are a lot of elected officials in and out of the courthouse,” she said.

She said she learned there are concerns from elected officials all over the county about security.

“We have three circuit judges, two chancery judges, and two elected officials — every day elected officials are in and out,” Autry said. “My concern moving forward is if we can have some cameras – or if it (the incident) is a targeting or just a mental issue – that we will be able to know who it is. Moving forward, we need more security at the courthouse.”

Some courthouses have one door for in and out traffic and a door that is not used by the public but can be used as an escape route, she said. Chancery clerk Chuck Thomas noted the SkyCop cameras near the courthouse should cover area.

“They are not equipped to zoom in,” Autry said.

The courthouse has cameras inside on the lower floor and also has cameras that could possibly be installed in the courtroom, if judges approved, Thomas said.

“You are more concerned about what goes on outside?” Zinn asked.

“We don’t know what is going on around us already,” Autry said. “People are coming to court and they are already upset when they come to court.”

Discussion concluded, the board voted to have the county administrator look into the cost of cameras.

“We may have cameras that may suffice,” said Thomas.