One of the agenda items during the most recent Hudson Board of Selectmen meeting was in regards to a proposal to purchase new voting machines. It was explained by newly elected Town Moderator Mark Edgington that he has been training under Paul lnderbitzen, the current Town Moderator Pro Tem. “Paul has been working for years to make the elections in Hudson of the highest possible quality,” Edgington explained in a memo to the Board of Selectmen. “This is culminating in the acquisition of eight new voting machines from LHS, the ImageCast Precinct electronic ballot counting devices. RSA 656:40 (below) requires the Board of Selectmen to authorize the use of these devices. Please vote to approve these machines out of my budget so that we may begin to prepare for next year’s election.”
It was explained by Edgington that the total cost to purchase the eight ImageCast Precinct 2 voting machines was $38,500. Edgington added during the meeting that they were originally $7,000 per machine, but said they were bumped up to $8,500 per machine now. “We have no option. They have to be purchased by the next election,” Edgington explained during the meeting.
He explained that the State is getting rid of the current machines as an approved voting machines that can be used for elections. During the meeting, it was explained by Edgington that he wanted to get the machines sooner, because they would have more time to test them. Board of Selectmen Chair Dillon Dumnont noted during the meeting that the deadline to get the machines in place is closer to the next election.
He also asked during the meeting if there was any research done on the Voting Works machines. Edgington noted that they are out of State, “and we can drive to Salem with LHS,” he explained. He said if there is a problem, they have service around the corner with LHS, which was the main reason why lnderbitzen thought it made sense to go with them. Edgington noted during the meeting that most towns in N.H. are going to be using them. Dumont noted that both companies are still being evaluated, but nothing has been completed.
Edgington, when asked, noted it was undetermined when the machines would be approved by the State. Ultimately, Edgington said he wants people to feel confident in the elections in Hudson. “I want everybody to be as confident that they can be that the next election is gonna have the level of integrity that all our previous elections have had,” Edgington said.
It was decided to defer a decision until the evaluations are done, and it was also decided to get a formal quote from Voting Works as well.
The next Selectmen meeting is set for May 27, at 7 p.m.
