Voting system manufacturer addresses election day issues in El Paso County

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso County commissioners questioned elections vendor KNOWiNK on Monday after a primary election day malfunction with electronic poll pads slowed voter check in across the county.

The issue, which occurred during the March 3 primary, affected electronic poll books used to verify voter identity and collect signatures, but did not impact voting machines or the counting of ballots, officials said.

“All ballot marking devices and tabulators worked properly, and a post-election audit confirmed vote accuracy,” El Paso County Elections Administrator Lisa Wise said.

Representatives from KNOWiNK addressed the court, explaining what went wrong and outlining steps taken since the incident.

“We're here today because on the morning of March 3, our system fell short during the Primary Election,” KNOWiNK Chief Strategy Officer Steele Shippy said. “El Paso County voters and this Court deserve a direct explanation of what happened, what we've done to address it, and what we're doing to make sure it doesn't happen again.”

Shippy said the problem stemmed from a missing prompt on the electronic poll pads that prevented poll workers from completing the standard voter check in process.

“On March 3, a majority of those devices deployed for Election Day did not display that prompt,” Shippy said. “Poll workers could not complete the standard check in process and had to find alternative ways to keep the line moving.”

The issue was reported at 7:11 a.m., and a fix was deployed by 10:35 a.m., creating a disruption window of about three and a half hours, he said.

Shippy emphasized that the malfunction was limited to the check in process.

He said the company identified a data configuration gap that was not flagged by its system, which resurfaced after routine data consolidation before Election Day.

“Our system produced an incomplete data file without surfacing a warning,” Shippy said, adding that the company takes full responsibility.

Commissioners raised concerns about the impact on voters, including those who may have left polling places and not returned.

El Paso County Commissioner for Precinct 4 Sergio Coronado called the delay inexcusable and said some locations did not immediately switch to paper check in, which may have prevented some residents from voting.

El Paso County Commissioner for Precinct 3 Iliana Holguin questioned whether the county could recover costs tied to the disruption, including legal action to extend voting hours and emergency supply distribution.

Shippy said the company is open to discussions about compensation.

Holguin also asked about the county’s contract with KNOWiNK, which totals about $56,000 annually for licensing. Shippy said additional onsite technical support for the next two election cycles would be provided at no cost.

“To reinforce our commitment to this partnership with El Paso County, KNOWiNK will provide dedicated onsite technical support for the county for the next two election cycles beginning with the May 2 election at no additional cost to the county,” Shippy said.

According to the company, more than 200 of the county’s 320 devices were affected.

During public comment, election workers and residents described long lines and confusion at polling places.

An alternate election judge, who said she has worked elections for 21 years, told Commissioners voters were turned away during the disruption.

“We turned away so many people, it was an embarrassment,” the woman said. “I just want to know what happened from Saturday to Monday. What changed so much that the machines were such a failure.”

In response, election officials said they are implementing changes ahead of future elections.

Wise said the county will once again include paper backup forms in every polling kit and is exploring setting up equipment the night before elections to identify potential problems earlier.

“There’s a couple things that we’re actually still revisiting, and we will be revisiting before we move into the next election cycle,” Wise said.

El Paso County Commissioner for Precinct 1 Jackie Butler asked whether the county should consider changing vendors. Wise said options are limited because vendors must be certified, and many large Texas counties use KNOWiNK.

Wise added the elections office is putting contingency plans in place to respond more quickly if similar issues arise in the future.