County approves purchase of second DS450 tabulator as election law changes loom

The Johnson County Commissioners Court approved the purchase of a second DS450 tabulator and associated maintenance for $139,600 on July 27, citing the need for faster returns and redundancy ahead of the November election.

Elections official Miss Adams (S14) said the tabulator will speed processing of election-night returns and provide a backup if the primary machine fails. "It's just to help ensure that we get our returns a lot sooner on election night and also a secondary machine if something happens to the one," Miss Adams said. The purchase will be funded from a special elections equipment fund that accumulates rental income from city elections.

Commissioners also discussed the effects of Senate Bill 2753, a state-level change that will change when early-voting returns may be reported and how early-voting processing aligns with election-day counting. Several commissioners raised concerns about public confusion over changed reporting and the need for voter education about precinct and voting-location changes.