Quorum Court approves lease of unused voting machines, retains right to recall

Faulkner County’s Quorum Court approved a resolution to lease a set of unused voting machines to another county, while preserving a county reserve and recall rights.

County election staff and county officials told the court that eight machines at issue have never been used locally and were paid for by the state Secretary of State’s office. The county had considered options and presented leasing as a solution that would free storage space at the clerk’s office while allowing machines to be recalled if local need arises. The proposed lease requires the lessee to maintain firmware updates and keep machines in working order; county staff said the lessee would also be responsible for orderly storage while the county retains a buffer of machines to replace broken units on short notice.

Several court members raised questions about ensuring sufficient coverage for West Conway, where long election‑day lines have formed in previous elections. County election staff said they have identified additional potential sites for a voting center in West Conway and expect a decision on one site soon to reduce election‑day congestion. A former election commission chair who attended said the machines had been updated, were never used and that the numbers in the proposal were accurate.

Court members approved Resolution 25-03. County staff said the lease paperwork will include recall provisions and maintenance responsibilities and that the clerk’s office will continue to prioritize having sufficient machines available for future local needs.