17-07-2025
Commissioner: Background checks for election machine workers will provide 'peace of mind'
What seemed like a routine contract renewal turned into a discussion about taking precautions to secure the voting process during the county commissioners' most recent meeting.
Commissioner Lee Jones said she was concerned that subcontractors working for B&L IT Services, which oversees voting machines and election-related devices, were not required to undergo criminal background checks.
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'This makes me insecure,' she said during the July 10 meeting, 'that the subcontractors don't want to do background checks.'
Robert White from B&L said the 20 or so people who work for him in Monroe County haven't been subject to background checks in the past. He pointed out that background investigations aren't required for the dozens of poll workers paid to be at voting sites on Election Day.
White agreed to add criminal background checks to the Monroe County contract, even though he said it's impossible to alter ballots or machine totals.
'If it's a deal breaker, we could do background checks,' White said during the meeting. 'It's not a problem.'
Commissioner Jody Madeira said the checks will provide people "peace of mind."
Voting equipment is always secure
White said his employees aren't left alone with voting equipment and that someone from the county clerk's office or voter registration is always present when machines are being worked on, tested or updated. He said they can't access or alter data.
'None of the subcontractors have access to the equipment alone,' he said. He or county election supervisor Kylie Farris is always there, he said. 'None of the subcontractors come into work unless I am present. Nobody is there by themselves.'
Commissioners' president Julie Thomas advocated for the $20 background checks. 'This is about doing everything we can to ensure the public their vote will count,' she said. 'I worry that the public will perceive this as a potential gap in election security.'
The commissioners voted 3-0 in favor of the amended 2-year contract renewal that cannot exceed $350,000. For 2025, a non-election year, expenses are limited to $100,000. The contract allows up to $250,000 in 2026, a midterm election year.
Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@ or 812-318-5967.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Commissioners require background checks for election subcontractors
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