The Collin County Toll Road Authority meeting on February 10, 2025, featured a significant discussion regarding election security and the use of ballot marking devices (BMDs) in upcoming elections. A speaker raised concerns about the reliability of electronic voting systems, citing a recent hearing in Georgia that highlighted serious security risks associated with electronic collection equipment.

The speaker emphasized the need for transparency in the voting process and pointed to a 2019 study from Michigan that revealed alarming deficiencies in BMDs. According to the study, voters were only able to identify 7% of errors when ballots were incorrectly ejected. Attempts to improve voter awareness through signage and verbal prompts yielded minimal results, with only 19% of voters catching errors in the best-case scenario. This data suggests that a significant majority of voters—up to 80%—could overlook critical mistakes in their ballots if the current electronic systems remain in place.

In light of these findings, the speaker urged the court to develop and implement a plan for using hand-marked paper ballots in the November elections, advocating for the elimination of BMDs by 2025. The call for action reflects growing concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in Collin County and the need for more secure voting methods.

The meeting underscored the importance of addressing these security issues as the county prepares for future elections, with the speaker's request highlighting a potential shift towards more traditional voting methods to enhance voter confidence and accuracy.