Residents urge Collin County to delay election equipment contract renewal amid security and cost concerns
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Summary
Multiple residents urged the court to delay or amend a contract renewal for election voting systems and services (identified in public comment as AI 57755), arguing for hand‑marked ballots or ballot‑on‑demand printers and raising security and fiscal concerns; commissioners heard the comments but did not take action on the contract at the meeting.
Several residents addressed the Collin County Commissioners Court during public comment to urge a delay or amendment to an election voting equipment and maintenance contract renewal that commenters said covered July through June for more than half a million dollars.
One speaker identifying the contract as "AI 57755, election voting systems and services," said the renewal date range was listed as July through June for over half a million dollars and argued the renewal "seems to go directly against the president's recent executive order" and raised security concerns regarding barcodes and touch‑screen systems. The speaker said hand‑marked paper ballots are the "gold standard" and urged the county to implement them for the 2026 primary and general elections.
Debbie Linster of Citizens Defending Freedom asked the court to delay a $566,000 maintenance renewal by 30 days or include a refund provision in the contract if forthcoming state legislation reduces equipment needs. Linster said pending Texas legislation could change early and election‑day voting rules and allow combined precincts up to 10,000 voters per location, which would reduce the number of machines required.
Aida Snowback told the court she opposed "contract amendment number 10" as a 3.5% increase over the prior renewal and said maintenance fees for ballot‑marking devices and firmware total $370,215. Snowback said the county has spent more than $13,500,000 to date on these machines and their maintenance and argued for ballot‑on‑demand printers as a more viable long‑term option.
Lee Moore reiterated calls to delay the renewal pending legislative outcomes and referenced recent federal executive actions discussed publicly; Moore said waiting could save taxpayer dollars and allow consideration of ballot‑on‑demand printers.
Ending: Commissioners received public comment; no formal action on the contract renewal was taken at this meeting. Staff and the court did not indicate an immediate vote on the contract during the session covered by the transcript.