Historic Investment in Modernizing Connecticut’s Elections Infrastructure

Historic Investment in Modernizing Connecticut’s Elections Infrastructure

Nine Towns to Soft-Launch New Tabulators in Advance of 2024 General Election

(Hartford, CT) – Today, State Rep. Tom Delnicki (R-14) welcomed Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, together with Governor Ned Lamont, in an announcement of a historic investment in modernizing Connecticut’s elections infrastructure through the purchase of a new, paper-based election system from vendor Election Systems & Software (ES&S). This landmark agreement represents the state’s first equipment upgrade in nearly 20 years and will include nearly 2,700 state-of-the-art tabulators.

South Windsor is one of nine Connecticut towns that will receive an early delivery of the new equipment, for the November general election. This initial deployment will provide an infusion of additional tabulators, allowing for the redistribution of older machines to other jurisdictions in need. The participating towns are:

• Glastonbury
• Hamden
• New Britain
• New Haven
• Rocky Hill
• Southington
• South Windsor
• Vernon
• Wethersfield

Secretary Thomas’ office will fully deploy the systems to all municipalities by the summer of 2025. The upgrade of the state’s aging tabulators was made possible thanks to a funds from a $25 million bond approved by Governor Lamont and the Bond Commission on October 6, 2023.

“This is a pivotal moment for Connecticut’s elections, and one that is a longtime in the making,” said Secretary Thomas. “Through this milestone tabulator upgrade, we’re providing our election administrators with the modern tools they need to run efficient elections. I thank Governor Lamont for his support and recognition of the critical need for updated equipment in our state.”

Secretary Thomas continued: “We were careful to choose the right vendor that prioritized high security standards and ease of use, and we found that in ES&S. Over the course of several decades, ES&S has established itself as a leading provider of reliable and secure election systems that millions of voters across the country cast their ballots on. As a bonus, ES&S tabulators are similar to our old machines, which will make for a seamless transition for both registrars and voters.”

“The paper ballot tabulators we use to record votes are the backbone of our election system, and it is essential election officials have access to equipment that calculates results with accuracy and timeliness,” Governor Lamont said. “Although our existing machines continue to function, they are more than 18 years old and election officials tell us that they are beginning to show their age. Replacing this equipment now will ensure that election workers continue to have the tools they need to conduct an Election Day that runs smoothly.”

Attached Photo: (Pictured clockwise from left) South Windsor Mayor Audrey Delnicki, State Representative Tom Delnicki, Governor Ned Lamont, ROVAC President Chris Prue, ES&S VP of Account Management Adam Carbulllido, UConn Voting Technology Research Lab Director Alexander Russell, State Representative Ron Napoli, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas.

ABOUT ES&S: Election Systems & Software (ES&S) is the nation’s leading voting systems manufacturer. For more than 40 years, ES&S has been supporting elections by creating and providing secure, accurate and accessible voting equipment to jurisdictions across the country. Learn more about ES&S at www.essvote.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/essvote.