Lauderdale County is returning to the paper ballot system for the 2018 midterm elections.

Ballots will be tallied on-site through the county’s 42 state-of-the-art scanners, which were purchased last month for just under $328,000.

This change comes after years of using the digital touchscreen system, which Lauderdale County Election Commission Chairman Jeff Tate said is not as efficient and doesn’t provide the much-needed “paper trail.” 

“I’ve been wanting to do this change since about the first year I got in, just seeing the way the voting procedure took place, knowing the scanner with the paper ballot is the way to go,” Tate said.

The Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors last year approved an item that would allow the county to accept bids for the scanners. The scanners were purchased using $13,623 from the Help America Vote Act and Help MS Vote Act grants, $204,185 from the Mississippi Election Support Fund, and the rest, Tate said, from the election commission’s budget.

Tate said there could be pressure from Washington to start using the scanner-and-paper-ballot system in the next few years.

“I’m glad we’re ahead of the curve before we’re possibly forced to go that route,” Tate said.

The scanners will replace more than 200 TSX touchscreen voting machines. With the new system, there will be one scanner per precinct, which will cut down on costs.

“Because it’s a paper ballot, the voter will be able to get in and get out more efficiently than they would with the touchscreen,” Tate said in a previous report. “…It makes sense to make this change, not only because there are fewer machines, but there will be less maintenance and less labor cost.

“Labor is your biggest cost when it comes to an election. The more you can cut down on manpower costs, the less expensive your election will be.”

Tate said elections can cost up to $60,000, particularly during presidential elections. He anticipates the 2018 election will cost about $35,000.