Lincoln County will soon have new voting equipment.

County Circuit Clerk Dustin Bairfield conducted a bid opening at the beginning of the Board of Supervisors’ meeting Monday. Two companies inquired after the county advertised for bids, and one company submitted a bid. Election Systems & Software’s bid was $206,370.

“It’s a little cheaper than we thought for the overall project,” Bairfield said.

“Is that everything you need for the voting equipment?” board president Eddie Brown asked.

“Yes,” Bairfield said.

The clerk’s office has an some funds left from the previous year and a grant from the Secretary of State’s office, leaving a need for $68,000, which he requested come from the county’s CARES Act funds in order to complete the election machine updating project.

The board unanimously approved the request.

The ExpressVote Universal Voting System uses touch-screen technology that produces a paper record for tabulation. The ExpressVote handles the entire marking process, eliminating unclear marks and the need for interpretation of the voter’s mark.

The purchased equipment will replace all existing machines and software, beginning in 2022, Bairfield said.