CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - With the 2020 election just over a year away, Charleston County is gearing up for voters to cast their ballot.
The Charleston County Finance committee approved new voter registration and voting equipment on Tuesday night.
This has to do with South Carolina’s new voting system, a paper-based voting system.
Charleston County officials said the State Election Commission made the initial $51 million purchase. The county will be responsible for any ongoing maintenance costs.
The new voting system will add an extra layer of security and county officials said paper ballots are more dependable.
“Replacement will provide the state with a dependable system for years to come and will greatly enhance the security and resilience of our election process,” Charleston County Public Information Officer Shawn Smetana said in a statement. “Having a paper record of each voter’s voted ballot will add an additional layer of security as it allows for audits of paper ballots to verify vote totals.”
South Carolina’s current voting system reached its full 15-year use expectancy.
Smetana said any of the county’s voting issues were due to normal ear and tear, but integrity of the system has never been an issue.
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