Washington County is purchasing $90,000 worth of new election equipment.

The Washington County Board of Supervisors approved the proposal from the auditor’s office at their meeting Tuesday morning. Washington County Auditor Dan Widmer explains there’s a need for the upgrade as the current equipment is 11 years old and will soon no longer be supported by the manufacturer.

Two companies provided quotes and presentations. Staff recommended the Henry and Adkins proposal, which was the lower price of the two. Elections Administrator Sue Meeks explains the $91,683.31 price tag includes 13 voting tabulators and ballot boxes, “So we have 10 precincts. We need two for our absentee precinct, which would be the 11th precinct, because they would need two on election day during a general election in time to get all of them scanned through that day. Then we have one extra on there in case there is a malfunction at a polling site, so that we would have that on hand.” The quote also includes licensing and warranty charges, which would begin in 2019.

Widmer says he’d like to have the new equipment used for the first time during this November’s elections.