Voters in Butler County can forget what they know about the electronic voting machines currently used in elections.

Two members of the three-person Board of Elections approved a $939,075 expenditure for new voting machines from Election Systems and Software of Omaha, Neb.

The machines will be ready for use by the November general election.

The bureau of elections board voted at Wednesday's county commissioners meeting to approve the ES&S machines. The commissioners did not vote in the interest of propriety because all three are running for re-election.

Shari Brewer, the elections bureau director, said voters in the general election will manually fill in a dot beside the names of the candidates they choose.

Pennsylvania is requiring all 67 counties to update voting systems by the 2020 primary election. New systems must include a paper recording of each vote after the federal Department of Homeland Security determined Pennsylvania was among 21 states targeted by Russians for voter hacking in the 2016 elections.

Brewer initially thought a new system would cost up to $8 million, but that estimate was for a replacement system similar to the one currently used.

The paper-ballot system with a scanner at each precinct, which is the type of setup approved for purchase on Wednesday, is far less expensive.

Leslie Osche, commissioners chairwoman, reiterated that the commissioners knew when they took office nearly four years ago that the voting system purchased in 2006 for $1.6 million was nearing the end of its life span and would need to be replaced.

“We started on the process long before the state ruling came out,” Osche said.

Regarding the 535 units that will be replaced, Commissioner Kevin Boozel suggested that school districts could use them for civics classes and projects. He said talks are now ongoing with certain districts in the county.

Brewer said normally ES&S takes the machines and disposes of them according to state requirements.

Commissioner Kim Geyer said legislation has been introduced in the state Senate to slow down the process of purchasing new voting equipment for counties.

“I don't know if it has gained traction or not,” Geyer said.

Voters will use the electronic machines for the last time at the May 21 primary election.

The three members of the board of elections are Lori Altman, the county director of human resources; Amanda Feltenberger, the director of integrative services for the county's Human Services Department; and Mark Gordon, the county's director of economic development and planning.

Gordon did not attend the commissioners meeting on Wednesday, so he did not vote on the new system.

Approval of the purchase from ES&S is contingent upon a satisfactory maintenance agreement on the machines.