Dallas County has wasted millions on election tech, and hand-counting is the solution

Editorial | By Easton Martin | October 8, 2025

In a September 29th interview with KERA News, Dallas County Democratic Chair Kardal Coleman commented on the GOP’s decision to hand-count votes in the upcoming primary. 

When asked if Democrats would follow suit, Coleman said, “We’re going to use technology and have trust and faith in the individuals who work in the election department and staff and volunteers.”

While Coleman’s emphasis on trust in election workers sounds reassuring, Dallas County election officials have a documented history of mismanaging taxpayer funds. The county wasted millions on faulty electronic voter roll systems purchased from Tenex that failed to meet state security standards. The pollbooks were incompatible and insecure, forcing officials to scrap them entirely. 

Since 2019, Dallas County has spent an additional $8.6 million with ES&S for new voting equipment, licensing, and support to replace the failed system. Efforts intended to modernize elections have instead cost taxpayers heavily, highlighting persistent issues with oversight and management in the county’s election infrastructure.

By contrast, the Dallas County GOP’s decision to move forward with hand-counting is a cautious and responsible approach. While manual counting may involve extra labor and time, it avoids the risk of costly technological failures. It also allows voters and candidates to witness the process directly, increasing transparency and public confidence.

Unlike past investments in electronic systems, hand-counting does not carry the potential for multimillion-dollar mistakes stemming from incompatible or insecure technology.

For taxpayers, the decision represents a safeguard against repeating the mistakes of previous election cycles. By relying on human oversight instead of unproven machines, the GOP is prioritizing accountability and financial prudence. 

The choice may take longer, but it avoids the risk of losing millions to systems that cannot be trusted. The extra time and effort of hand-counting is a small price to pay for election integrity, especially in a county where trusting technology and election officials has proven costly.