Butler County will get federal grant money to help pay for the county’s new voting system.
Through the Help America Vote Act of 2002, Butler County will receive federal financial assistance in the amount of $211,000.
That will go toward the county’s bill of $950,000 for the new system.
“This is reimbursement for the new voting system that the county just recently purchased,” county Elections Director Shari Brewer told the Butler County commissioners on Wednesday.
In May, the Butler County Election Board, and the county commissioners, agreed to purchase a paper-based ballot system which will replace the county’s current electronic system. Voters will use a pencil to color-in the oval next to a candidate’s name. The ballot will then be dropped into a secure box, where it will be scanned into a computer and tabulated.
Last year, the state mandated that all counties switch to a voting system that had a verifiable paper record that could be referenced should there be a discrepancy.
Butler County Elections Director Shari Brewer says the county still plans to have the new system up and running by the November 2019 general election.