After the 2000 presidential election and the controversy surrounding punch cards in the Florida recounts, Congress was prompted to pass the Help America Vote Act. The new law, aimed to help state election officials replace outdated voting machines, infused $3 billion dollars into election administration budgets. States across the U.S. replaced punch cards, lever machines, and hand-counted paper ballots with direct record electronic machines or paper ballot scanners at the polls. Voting machine makers told state election officials that the new machines would last anywhere from 10-15 years.
Fast-forward to 2015. Most of the voting technology in place at polling sites around the country was introduced three years before the iPhone. And with those machines rapidly approaching end of life, election officials will have to consider not only what kind of technology will replace them but also how to pay for it.
NPR explains the dilemma that some election officials face as they look to replace the outdated equipment. With technology evolving faster than election administration budgets, it may be time to look at a new model for how to pay for the machines that count our votes.
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