Dear Chairman Alcorn, Vice Chair Wheeler and Secretary McAllister:

I am writing on behalf of the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo). The proposed decertification of the WINVote machines will impact the election process in 25 of our Commonwealth’s 95 counties. VACo urges the Board of Elections to not rush to decertify these machines. Rather we ask you to work with the impacted localities, their General Registrars and their Electoral Boards to consider past experiences with these machines and their proposed technical fixes.

Banning the use of WINVote machines will be a significant unfunded mandate for many localities and the short timeline of such a potential decision will leave many with no budgeted funding to implement a change. It may also lead to a rushed procurement decision that is not in the long term interest of the electoral process of some localities.  Most importantly, banning these machines with very little time left before the June 9 primary may end up being a threat to the integrity of the electoral process in some localities.

VACo urges you to maintain certification of WinVote machines and to direct the Department of Elections to work with localities and election officials to implement and test proposed technical fixes to the current machines.

Sincerely,

Erik Johnston

VACo Director of Government Affairs