GREAT BEND — Barton County is purchasing new voting equipment to replace its aging machines and move back to using paper ballots.
The Great Bend Tribune reports that commissioners on Monday approved $183,000 to buy voting equipment from Election Systems and Software in Omaha, Nebraska.
The county’s current system is 12 years old and beginning to show wear. County Clerk Donna Zimmerman says it should be replaced before the equipment becomes unreliable.
She says they have been working on the project for three years viewing various products before suggesting Election Systems and Software, which provides the county’s current voting machines.
For voters who cast an electronic ballot, a paper copy will be printed for scanning. Voters who want a paper ballot can fill one out that can be scanned.
