Fired Up, Ready to Blow

It's not all fun and games here at the Election Office.

Every once in a while, we just have a day where we feel ran over.  (That would be physically ran over; we have plenty of days where we feel emotionally ran over).

Today was one of those days.

Amid the backdrop of the legislature's lack of a redistricting plan, we're pondering election scenarios and questions that simply don't have answers.  

Already, we've seen the filing deadline for candidates move in some races from June 1 to June 11, but June 1 had many other areas of significance for us.

June 1, for instance, was the drop-dead date to get our warehouse rearranged with customized tables to support our growth of 400 new voting machines.

When looking at voter registration numbers and the existing life of our fleet three years ago, I embarked on a mission to purchase 400 reconditioned voting machines at a significantly reduced rate from ES&S. 

We had money in reserves to cover the purchase and with the purchase, I felt we would be able to ride out our fleet through 2017.

We scheduled an agenda item with the Board of County Commissioners after it was determined that we did not need Board approval for the machines.  The agenda item was simply a way to have public record of our intent.

This was in 2010 and, unfortunately, during the meeting the agenda item was closed with someone telling the Board that they would see this item again as a formal resolution.

That was not the plan, but it suddenly became the plan.

So, off we went, formalizing a contract that took much more time than it should and arranging for a vendor to build new tables and another to lay in electrical wiring for the new machines.

We finally got Board approval in June 2011 and the machines were delivered in July.  The tables were expected at the same time.

The table delivery date drifted and drifted, first September and then January.  The absolute line in the sand was June 1 and we were assured we'd have the tables delivered before we were in full election mode for the August primary.

We're 15 days out from that and have only a smattering of tables.

But, in the meantime, we were able to get the new electrical work done.

Cleared out space for the new tables and....

Today, we moved machines on the new tables, plugged them in, turned on power to the plugs, and had an immediate power surge of popping and exploding.

We've tested one of the machines and its power supply is fried.  We'll test more tomorrow, or, better said, when our power situation in the warehouse is stable.  Right now, we're without air conditioning.  Apparently, we need a new transformer now in our building or at the curb.

You might remember that we had a power outage at the curb earlier this year.

...the tables in place, waiting for machines
to be connected.

It's possible this is related or, otherwise, the electrical work was completed improperly.

In any event, as I sweated out all of the things that could go wrong with the tables, I never thought the project could go so wrong it would destroy the machines I spent two years obtaining and that they would be fried less than six months before the presidential election.  

The machines are insured, but we're told the deductible is $100,000.  I imagine we'd need Board approval to replace the machines.  

That would be the third go-round for this project and each trip to the Board includes a Board meeting, an agenda review meeting, a staff pre-meeting, a staff pre-pre-meeting, a meeting with budget, and a meeting with the county manager.  If we do go after more machines for the presidential election, we'll get them in 2013.

The good news is that it took our minds off the fact that we don't really know when the August election will be.  That's worthy of an update.  

Okay, "worthy of an update," is different than an actual blog update.  We're waiting for an update, too, but I plan to blog the latest on that by Friday.

Oh, That Wasn't Us

This has been a week of, "Oh, that's not us."

First, we weren't involved in Super Tuesday and second, the caucus yesterday in Kansas was a party thing, not an election office thing.

But we have been busy.  For grist, I turn you to our warehouse, which we are in the process of rewiring. 

Our voting machines are always plugged in but cycle so the batteries run down and then recharge.

Some rows charge on Sunday, some on Monday, Tuesday, and so on.  The batteries will only last a couple of hours, in case of a temporary loss of power at the polling place, but we want to make sure they are, indeed, ready if called upon.

We purchased 400 machines last year to accommodate growth but our warehouse has no room for them.  We're exchanging tables to squeeze more machines per table.

Or, at least we hope we are exchanging tables.  The new tables have been on order for more than a year with assurance they will all be delivered by June 1.  We'll see.

In the meantime, our facilities group has enlisted a moving company to shift tables around for the electricians and we have been very frustrated that we had to provide extra insurance for them to make these moves.

This is a moving company, after all, in the business to, yup, move things.  Apparently, "Butterfingers McGee Moving" couldn't accept this job without our county paying extra for the insurance for all 2,500 machines.

Really. 

Tables of voting machines, moving 5 feet either way.
The tarp covers them in case the fire sprinklers go off.

Suitcases of supplies that
will be squeezed to make
way for new tables and machines

Oh, and we have a deductible.  Break two machines and that's acceptable, apparently--the first two are on us. 

Of course, they won't break or drop any.  But it was a clever way for the company to get about $21,000 extra from our county, and we have been helpless in pointing this out.  Our Risk Management department had no problem negotiating our money (yours, if you are in Johnson County).

The option would be to leave the new machines standing in the aisles, and that's not acceptable.

I think if the movers thought they would drop all 2,500 machines we probably needed different movers.  All they are doing is lifting each table a foot and moving it over by 5  feet.

Anyway, this is the first time I've popped some pictures of our operation into the blog.  The photos don't do things justice, but I thought it would give you sense of what's happening.  I'll show more when we get closer to our next full-county election in the summer.

New electrical wiring awaiting the
final move (suitcases did
not have to be insured).