Tag Archives: eSlate

Meet your new voting machines

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Long time coming. Harris County’s new voting machine, which county leaders showed off on Wednesday, incorporates old and new technology the county election administrator says will make voting easier and boost public confidence in elections. The Hart InterCivic Verity Duo, … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court approves funds for new voting machines

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Long awaited. Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved a $54 million deal to replace the current eSlate machines with ones featuring touch screens, a paper backup and features that make voting more accessible for seniors and residents with disabilities. The … Continue reading →

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A few words about election security

Posted on November 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Lisa Gray talks to my friend Dan Wallach about everybody’s favorite subject. If I’m aiming to steal an election, what’s the best way to go about it? Are mail-in ballots the easiest? If your goal is to steal an election, … Continue reading →

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The swan song for eSlate machines

Posted on October 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still using them for this election, as clunky and outdated as they are, but they’re on the way out. Harris County may shatter turnout records with as many as 1.5 million voters in this year’s presidential election, the county … Continue reading →

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County to seek new voting machines

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

About time. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved County Clerk Diane Trautman’s plan to seek vendor proposals for new voting machines. The clerk’s office plans to issue a request for proposal for a new voting system this month. … Continue reading →

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TCRP report on Texas election administration problems

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today the Texas Civil Rights Project (“TCRP”) released a report—utilizing data from the largest non-partisan Election Protection effort in the state, provisional ballot data, as well as publicly available information—to analyze the the long-standing failures in Texas … Continue reading →

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Trautman talks new voting machines

Posted on November 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

As is usually the case, finding the funding will be the key. The newly elected Harris County clerk plans to phase out the county’s eSlate voting machines, which have occasionally caused problems for voters. Diane Trautman, who beat the incumbent … Continue reading →

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Our poor old voting machines

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

They really do need to be retired. A national spotlight fell on Texas’ voting equipment last week after some voters complained that their votes on electronic voting machines had changed. State election officials chalked it up to user error. Critics … Continue reading →

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The eSlate issue

Posted on October 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Everyone please take a deep breath. Some straight-ticket voters have reported that voting machines recorded them selecting the candidate of another party for U.S. Senate, exposing a potential problem with the integrity of the state’s high-profile contest between U.S. Sen. … Continue reading →

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We really need to replace our crappy old voting machines

Posted on August 12, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is embarrassing. Local election administrators in Texas are eager to replace voting machines purchased more than a decade ago in time for the 2020 presidential election. Increasingly susceptible to malfunctions, upkeep for the aging machines can exceed $300,000 annually … Continue reading →

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LWV to look at Harris County election security

Posted on October 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I look forward to seeing their results. The League of Women Voters of the Houston Area plans to study the cybersecurity of Harris County’s election system, but the non-partisan group may not be able to gather all the information it … Continue reading →

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Stan Stanart talks election security

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have a few thoughts as well. Over the course of the presidential race, concern has grown about digitally safeguarding election results. New cyber security threats seem to emerge monthly. Republican Donald Trump has repeatedly contended the presidential election will … Continue reading →

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Dan Wallach: The case for not letting everybody vote by mail

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

You know who Dan Wallach is by now. Voting systems and security are in his wheelhouse, and when he sent this to me in response to this, I was happy to queue it up. Vote by mail (VBM) is cheaper! … Continue reading →

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Travis County pursues new voting machines

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Very, very interesting. With the nation facing what a January government report described as an “impending crisis” in voting technology, officials in Travis County are taking matters into their own hands by seeking to create a unique, next-generation system of … Continue reading →

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Diaz still leads after recount

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise. Former Jacinto City Mayor Chris Diaz still appears to be the Democratic nominee for Harris County Precinct 2 constable following a Monday recount in his razor-thin runoff with Precinct 2 Sgt. Zerick Guinn. Diaz’s 17-vote margin is unofficial, … Continue reading →

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County buys more eSlates

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Now that the election is over and all those borrowed voting machines need to be sent back to their owners, Harris County needs to buy replacements. Commissioners Court has approved an expenditure of $19 million to buy some 4600 eSlate … Continue reading →

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On straight ticket voting

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

After Democrats made big gains in 2008 in Harris County thanks in part to straight ticket voting, I defended the practice from the Republican concern trolls that came out to wring their hands about it now that they were no … Continue reading →

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Electronic voting will be the norm today

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the County Clerk’s office: ELECTRONIC VOTING TO BE THE PRINCIPAL METHOD OF VOTING ON ELECTION DAY IN HARRIS COUNTY Houston, TX– As usual, on General Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010, the eSlate electronic voting system will be the … Continue reading →

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County receives voting equipment

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: On Monday, Sept. 20 at 11 a.m., Harris County received the first of what will be several shipments of election equipment from counties across Texas. The delivery begins the gradual gathering of equipment needed to conduct the … Continue reading →

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County says it’s as ready as it’s going to be for the election

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We won’t have as many voting machines as we’d originally planned, but the Harris County Clerk thinks we’ll have enough to get by. In addition to the [3100 new machines Commissioners Court authorized them to buy], the county has received … Continue reading →

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Interview with Ann Harris Bennett

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Ann Harris Bennett is the Democratic nominee to succeed retiring Harris County Clerk Beverly Kaufman. Bennett is a 14-year employee of the county, having worked as the Court Coordinator for the 55th and 152nd District Courts. As we know, there’s … Continue reading →

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Paper ballots: Views differ

Posted on September 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

One reason why Harris County will make paper ballots available to anyone who wants them this year is because Beverly Kaufman is afraid we won’t get enough replacement voting machines in time for the election. In a letter to county … Continue reading →

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More on the county’s plan for the election

Posted on September 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a press release from the County Clerk’s office about the current plans for conducting the election in the aftermath of the fire. “The public should know that a plan had to be enacted quickly to be able to conduct … Continue reading →

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Paper ballots on the menu

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The county’s plan for dealing with the loss of all of its voting machines includes some low technology. Despite a fire that destroyed Harris County’s voting machines Friday, County Clerk Beverly Kaufman said she intends to keep all polling places … Continue reading →

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Cause of fire that destroyed voting machines still not determined

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I sure hope it’s not arson. Lord knows, though, there’s a million conspiracy theories you could spin if it turns out it was. Houston’s fire marshal’s office hasn’t made a ruling on whether Friday’s early-morning fire was accidental or deliberately … Continue reading →

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Elections equipment damaged in fire

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Uh oh. Harris County voting machines were heavily damaged in a 3-alarm fire at warehouse in north Houston early this morning. The fire broke out about 4:15 a.m. at the county’s election equipment storage facility in the 600 block of … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: HCC trustees

Posted on October 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses in the HCC Trustee races, which even I had forgotten they hadn’t yet done. In the westside District VI, Sandie Meyers is unopposed as the replacement for incumbent Robert Mills Worsham. In District III, which stretches from … Continue reading →

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