St. Charles County will likely use new optical scan voting machines to cast ballots in the Aug. 7 party primary elections.

A bill introduced during the County Council's meeting Monday night would authorize a $1.2 million contract with Henry M. Adkins & Son Inc. of Clinton, Mo., for 130 optical scan and 130 disability capable voting machines. The council could vote on the contract during its next meeting Feb. 27.

Adkins, the lone bidder for the contract, is the only company making the voting machines needed to meet state and federal criteria, said Rich Chrismer, the county's election director.

Chrismer said he saved money to buy the machines for the last eight years. He said the county's current voting machines — Touch Screen DRE's — are 15 years old and that his office can no longer find parts for them.

The new machines use lasers to read ballots, instead of the lights used by the touch-screen machines.

The current machines will be used in the April 3 municipal elections. Even if the council approves the contract during its next meeting, Chrismer said it would be too late to have the new machines calibrated and delivered before the April elections.