JerryBellune@yahoo.com

You can thank the online hackers for this.

The state is buying a $51 million paper ballot system it feels will be secure from online interference.

After an evaluation of 7 proposals from 3 vendors, Election Systems and Software of Omaha’s Express-Vote system was chosen.

No in-state vendors offer US Election Assistance Commission certified systems, Chris Whitmire of the SC Election Commission said.

The new paper system will replace the state’s 15-year-old paperless system.

The ballot-marking device provides the ease of a touchscreen combined with the security of paper ballots.

Voters make selections on a touchscreen, then print their paper ballot and review it before inserting it into a scanner. The scanner counts the votes and the paper ballot is automatically dropped into a ballot box.

Votes are recorded on the scanner and the paper ballots are saved for auditing and verification of results.

The new system is accessible for the disabled and prevents voters from selecting more candidates than are allowed, Whitmire said.

With the old hand-marked ballots, officials were unable to count over-voted ballots because voters’ intent was not clear, Whitmire said.

Maintenance is capped at $2.6 million a year statewide over the next 6 years but actual costs are expected to be less than that.

Counties will pay maintenance for their machines.

The system will be used in all elections after Jan. 1.

For more on the system, visit https://www.scvotes.org/new-voting-system-faqs .