By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The Winnebago County Clerk’s Office will replace its voting machines following approval Tuesday by the County Board.
The county will spend $1,007,395 to buy 75 tabulating machines from Omaha, Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software. The company is one of three election equipment providers approved by the state and the same vendor used by the Rockford election office.
The clerk’s office will also purchase 175 laptops from Entré Computer Solutions to help with voter registration and identification. The cost is $169,925.
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The purchases are funded by the federal American Rescue Plan coronavirus relief funding.
“With the pandemic, the number of individuals voting by mail increased exponentially this past year, and we foresee that trend continuing as we go forward,” Winnebago County Clerk Lori Gummow said in a news release. “In addition to the 75 tabulating machines, the purchase will also include acquiring a high capacity batch fed scanner. This will exclusively process mail-in ballots in a safe and contactless fashion, while also maintaining the security and integrity of our elections.”
Winnebago County’s existing election equipment was purchased in 2004-2005, and officials say it has become expensive to repair and is no longer supported by vendors.
The news release states that the new election equipment will process the ballots more efficiently and decreased the time voters spend inside a polling location.