Board reviews tabulator failures, loaner machines and early‑voting prep; equipment patch delayed until next year
June 11, 2026 | Albemarle County, Virginia
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Albemarle County election staff briefed the Electoral Board on June 11 about tabulator failures in the April election, loaner machines supplied by the vendor and the timeline for a software fix, and walked members through early‑voting staffing, training and testing plans.
Staff said several DS300 tabulators showed repeat failures during the prior election; the vendor supplied three replacement units and three additional loaners, bringing the county’s count of loaners to six while replacements were arranged. According to staff, testing indicates a small timing “hiccup” that can be resolved by a software update, but the statewide process for distributing DS300 software updates is more involved and will likely delay a mass roll-out until next year.
The registrar described the county’s configuration plan for the upcoming elections: color-coded thumb drives (light blue for DS300s, dark blue for express-vote machines) and pre-configuration to support both the primary and general elections. Staff reported they had ordered about 11,000 folded ballots to cover precinct needs and explained that 61 ballot styles are required because of district splits. Configuration testing for express-vote machines and DS300s was scheduled for the day after the meeting, with final configuration testing for poll pads planned the Sunday before the election and broader L&A and equipment testing windows later in July.
Board members raised a separate operational and legal concern about a new 100-foot firearms buffer around polling places that takes effect July 1; staff said the state had not yet provided uniform signage or enforcement guidance and noted practical enforcement challenges in parking lots and drive‑up voting. Members also discussed producing concise one-page guidance sheets for early‑voting staff and sensitizing precinct workers to rare cases where a voter may not have a primary ballot option due to district splits.
The board asked staff to continue exhaustive testing of the patch, to confirm replacement machine deliveries, and to circulate finalized training and testing schedules to members.
Staff said several DS300 tabulators showed repeat failures during the prior election; the vendor supplied three replacement units and three additional loaners, bringing the county’s count of loaners to six while replacements were arranged. According to staff, testing indicates a small timing “hiccup” that can be resolved by a software update, but the statewide process for distributing DS300 software updates is more involved and will likely delay a mass roll-out until next year.
The registrar described the county’s configuration plan for the upcoming elections: color-coded thumb drives (light blue for DS300s, dark blue for express-vote machines) and pre-configuration to support both the primary and general elections. Staff reported they had ordered about 11,000 folded ballots to cover precinct needs and explained that 61 ballot styles are required because of district splits. Configuration testing for express-vote machines and DS300s was scheduled for the day after the meeting, with final configuration testing for poll pads planned the Sunday before the election and broader L&A and equipment testing windows later in July.
Board members raised a separate operational and legal concern about a new 100-foot firearms buffer around polling places that takes effect July 1; staff said the state had not yet provided uniform signage or enforcement guidance and noted practical enforcement challenges in parking lots and drive‑up voting. Members also discussed producing concise one-page guidance sheets for early‑voting staff and sensitizing precinct workers to rare cases where a voter may not have a primary ballot option due to district splits.
The board asked staff to continue exhaustive testing of the patch, to confirm replacement machine deliveries, and to circulate finalized training and testing schedules to members.
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