Montgomery County could replace its voting machines after the Nov. 3 election, even as more than 106,000 mail-in ballots are already in voters' hands.

Director of Elections Frank Dean told county commissioners that the county's contract with Denver-based Liberty Vote expires at the end of the year, according to Main Line Media News. Dean's office has researched five companies that operate in Pennsylvania and compared the current system with Omaha-based Election Systems & Software (ES&S).

The county's current scanners process about 1,000 to 1,200 ballots per hour, Dean said. ES&S scanners handle 6,000 to 7,000 on the low end. Commissioner Tom DiBello called the gap "a big significant difference in timing," particularly in high-turnout elections.

Dean said the review was "exploratory in nature only" and that any change would require a public vote by the election board. A county spokesperson said that vote would not come until a November election board meeting. The cost of an ES&S system remains unclear.

Liberty Vote serves 12 Pennsylvania counties. ES&S serves 39, including Allegheny County. Election Board Chair Neil Makhija noted Allegheny County tends to report results the fastest.

Dean also pointed to write-in ballot processing as a pain point. In high-turnout elections, 10 to 20 bipartisan teams spend two to three weeks sorting through 50,000 to 70,000 write-in votes one at a time, he said. An upgraded system would let workers view and assign write-in images in batches.

Any equipment change would not affect the 2026 general election.

Monday, Oct. 19, is the deadline to register to vote in Montgomery County. Mail-in ballot requests must be in by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. The county had 626,419 registered voters as of Oct. 12, according to state data. Of the 106,000-plus mail-in ballots sent, about 60,000 have been returned, Makhija said.

Makhija urged mail-in voters to use one of 18 drop boxes across the county, including one at the Whitemarsh Magisterial District Court at 4002 Center Ave. in Lafayette Hill.

"The fastest way to return your ballot is to a drop box which is directly to the county. You don't have to worry about any mail delays," Makhija said.

Satellite voter services offices open Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Lansdale, Lower Merion Township, Norristown, Pottstown and Willow Grove. Voters can call 610-278-3280 for details.