Hidalgo County voters will have new voting machines to cast their ballots for the next local election.
The machines had to be put in storage for several months.
Hidalgo County had gone forward with the purchase, but commissioners asked for more time in January.
They agreed this morning to the $5 five million needed to buy the machines.
County leaders say the state-of-the-art electronic machines will speed up and secure voting in the county.
Felice Liston – Hart Interactive says, “The two biggest things that the Hidalgo County will notice is that the curbside voting in itself is an easy wonderful lightweight transportable process. So the device itself weighs only six pounds. It can go out curbside and multiple voters within one vehicle can vote on multiple devices. So that in itself will move the voters through faster. Election night results will be reported faster, because with the Verity System only one device had to be closed by the election workers, so that means those results can get back to the election office faster.”
In the coming months, the elections department staff will begin the transition process to the new machines. Election judges and clerks will then receive extensive training on how to use them.
