Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry recently unveiled new, state-of-the-art election equipment that will modernize voting systems in time for the March 19 primary election.
The new equipment and related software will replace outdated tabulators and voting devices, some which are decades old and functioning on ancient and unsupported software platforms, Staley Ferry said.
Earlier this year the clerk worked closely with Will County Board’s leadership team, including Chair Judy Ogalla, Republican Leader Steve Balich, and Democratic Leader Jackie Traynere, as well as with Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, to secure County Board approval for $7.8 million in funding for the voting modernization program, she explained.
After a review process that spanned nearly two years, the County Clerk selected two companies, including Governmental Business Systems, a Lisle-based provider of Hart InterCivic election equipment. The Will County Clerk’s Office purchased Hart InterCivic’s Verity line of secure election equipment for tabulating paper ballots, reporting election results, and supporting robust post-election results, according to Ferry.
Verity equipment also includes state-of-the-art Verity Scan tabulators and Verity Touch Writer ballot-marking devices to assist voters with disabilities, she said.
Hart InterCivic is based in Austin, Texas, and provides tabulation equipment and software to election authorities across the United States.
The county also forged a partnership with Tenex Software Solutions, a Florida-based company that provided the Clerk’s Office with new pollbooks, a new voter registration system, and a new elections management system, according to Ferry.
Tenex’s software will enable the Will County Clerk’s Office to update its voter registration rolls and manage its elections with the greatest efficiency., Ferry said. Additionally, she adds, the new pollbooks will streamline and simplify the process of checking in voters for election judges who work in busy polling places and early voting locations.
“The companies we have partnered with and the new equipment and software we have purchased will completely upgrade Will County’s elections on behalf of our voters,” Ferry said. “I thank the Will County Board and its forward-thinking leadership team for making this important investment in our democracy.”
The Hart InterCivic tabulators and ballot-marking devices are designed to function with paper ballots that document and record a voter’s intent for secure and verifiable elections. The tabulators use digital scanners to read boxes marked by voters next to their selections on paper ballots. All tabulators are isolated and operate independently with no wireless communications capabilities to prevent potential exploitation by hackers, according to the clerk’s office. All software associated with the new equipment will function on the most-recent supported platforms.
Election Day tabulators and ADA ballot-marking devices that the County Clerk’s Office had been using were nearly 20 years old and could not be replaced, Ferry said. Repairs for broken units were made with refurbished parts.
“My goal from the start was to bring our local elections into the modern era on behalf of Will County voters,” Ferry said. “I’ve worked in partnership with our Will County Board to deliver on that commitment. The 2024 elections will complete the modernization of our elections systems and provide our citizens with the efficient voting experience they deserve.”
mmayer@thetimesweekly.com
