Jordan said the test was one of the final steps before the board of elections will propose the county buy new election equipment. The Iredell County Board of Commissioners would give the final say on the purchase.
Jordan said the cost is estimated to be $314,849, split over two years in the board of election budget.
Jordan said the current equipment used by the county to count ballots was beginning to show its age and needed replacing.
“Our equipment we currently use is secure, but the equipment we are looking at will also comply with those updated regulations as well,” Jordan said.
The Voluntary Voting System Guidelines are technical standards approved by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission that all voting systems certified by the federal government must meet, according to the Election Systems and Software website. The guidelines cover specifications for accuracy, security, functionality, privacy, usability and accessibility.
The Iredell County Board of Elections had also considered a different brand but chose to stick with Election Systems & Software, the company it had used previously. Jordan said the county chooses from state-approved vendors.
Jordan said the newer equipment will have features that improve election security and will also have larger USB drives. Those larger USB drives will help avoid a situation the board of elections faced last year when some of its precincts’ voting equipment were close to the memory limits. She said the issue affected three early voting sites.
© Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved
