SEARCY COUNTY, Ark. — As the presidential campaign trail heats up, one Arkansas county is looking closer at how it runs its elections.
Searcy County election commissioners Laurie Gross and L.C. Ratchford stand on opposite sides of the political aisle, but have worked together the last few months to research paper ballot elections.
"Our number one job as election commissioners is to the voters, and the will of the voters into the integrity of an election [and] not to any political party," Rachford said. "The people here in this county, they spoke overwhelmingly that they wanted to go to paper ballot."
On Monday, the Searcy County Quorum Couty passed a resolution for paper ballot elections moving forward. However, a final ordinance still needs to pass next month to enforce it.
"We're saying, 'Will paper ballots give us a better quality election? Will it give us the ability to audit our election and know that it was counted correctly?'" Gross said.
Former state and Pulaski County election commissioner Susan Inman said the electronic machines can be trusted.
"It's the mistrust somebody has imagined," Inman said. "They don't understand what goes into preparing and testing the equipment, which is all done in a public venue to confirm and assure the voters."
According to Inman, human error can also occur during the counting process with paper ballots.
"If the observer looks away for a second... [and] they forget to mark make a mark, you're not going to get an accurate number," Inman said. "It'll be counting in again and again."
If the Searcy County ordinance passes on Sept. 11, votes would still have to be run through a machine within 24 hours after polls close, and only then would a hand count begin.
"[The initial machine count] won't be certified," Gross said. "But it'll be a preliminary count, and then we have enough time the next day... come in fresh after a long election day and count the ballots."
The county would also be responsible for the cost of the paper ballots and coordinating those who count them, both of which commissioners expect to be cheaper or the same as their budget for elections.
A voting machine would still be required to be available as an option for voters to comply with ADA regulations.