The overview
The vote allows Williamson County Election Administrator Bridgette Escobedo to purchase the ballots ahead of the November election. It also discontinues the use of computerized random numbering of ballots in Williamson County.
Williamson County Democratic Chair Kim Collins Gilby said Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson essentially decertified the old process through an election advisory issued in June. The elections board’s vote brings Williamson County in line with Nelson’s updated guidelines, Collins Gilby said.
County officials said the new ballots will come with a serial number preprinted on the back. Voters will still insert the ballot card into the voting machine and, once they’ve finished voting, place it into the DS200 ballot scanner and vote tabulation system, officials said.
Though the final price of the ballots will be determined by the length of the ballot, county officials estimated the new ballots will cost roughly $0.03 for each of the 431,800 registered voters.
County officials said the ballots will not be ordered until Aug. 19, which is the last day for entities to call a general election or election measure.
The background
The vote was made in light of Escobedo’s July 2 recommendation to procure the ballots.
According to previous reporting by Community Impact, the vote also addressed growing concern over ballot secrecy.
