Every county in the state will have a Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine for every direct record electronic voting system, ensuring a paper record for all votes cast in the state by the 2024 General Election. The State Budget Committee previously approved the allocation of $12.3 million for the purchase of the machines for every county.
State election officials say paper trails boost voter confidence by allowing Hoosiers to independently verify their vote was correctly recorded. Additionally, the paper trails allow for more robust post-election audits and improve the recount process.
Starke County Clerk Bernadette Welter Manuel presented a form to the Starke County Election Board members last week to fill out to determine how many machines are needed. Manuel said the county currently has 20 VVPATs, which is well over the 10 percent already required of the total number of voting machines in the county.
Sixteen machines are needed which would have cost the county up to $50,000.
Manuel added that the voting machine and the VVPAT will be stored and transported in the same larger case which will weigh over 50 pounds. The new case design includes wheels for easier transport to voting locations. Manuel said the current storage area may no longer be suitable so there will be future discussions on the storage of the combination cases.
