Delco Buys New Voting System, 2020 Primary Will Be First Use

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — When Delaware County voters will be using a new voting system come 2020 after the county council approved to buy a new system.

At its Oct. 23 meeting, the Delaware County Council unanimously voted to buy a new voting system purchase Hart Verity 2.3.4 Voting System.

The system, as well as supporting items, will be purchased through the PA COSTARS Cooperative Purchasing Program, at a cost not to exceed $6,080,832, plus consumables such as thermal paper and printer toner cartridges.

Delco ballot casters will use the new voting machines in the 2020 Primary, as mandated by gov. Tom Wolf.

The County’s Board of Elections, Delaware County Council and the County’s Executive Director began researching new voting systems in 2017 to identify systems that would meet the new federal and state requirements.

In Pennsylvania, every voting system and paper ballot must include plain text that voters can read to verify their choices before casting their ballot. Election officials will also use the plain text to perform pre-election testing and post-election audits and recounts.

The County held a public forum and demonstration to ascertain the public’s input on five proposed voting systems. After assessing public input and gathering research, the County’s Board of Elections submitted their recommendation of the Hart Verity Voting 2.3.4 Voting System to Council.

The system was certified by the PA Department of State on May 1, 2019, and is a paper ballot system that offers security to voters and includes plain text which voters can read to verify their vote before casting their ballot.

Learn more about the new system here.