Collin County officials are poised to enhance the voting experience for residents following a significant decision made during the Commissioners Court meeting on June 9, 2025. The court approved a motion to adopt a new ballot marking system, which will replace the current electronic voting devices with physical paper ballots. This change aims to improve compliance with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The county plans to maintain an inventory of approximately 300 express vote machines to ensure accessibility while transitioning to the new system. This number is deemed sufficient to accommodate the growing population and provide necessary backups at polling locations. The court also discussed the potential elimination of curbside voting units, streamlining the voting process further.

In terms of financial implications, the new system is expected to be more economical than previous estimates, which ranged from $3.2 million to $4.1 million. The current projections indicate that costs will be significantly lower, although the exact figures are still being finalized. The county is also exploring state and federal grants to support the transition, with a potential $52,000 sub-grant already identified.

Election officials expressed confidence in their ability to conduct the upcoming November elections successfully, despite the tight deadlines associated with implementing the new system. They emphasized the importance of training election staff and educating voters about the changes.

As Collin County moves forward with this initiative, the focus remains on ensuring a smooth transition to the new voting method, which is expected to enhance accessibility and efficiency for all voters in the community. The court has directed staff to present an implementation plan by June 23, 2025, marking a critical step toward achieving these goals.