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Ohio Elections Chief Seeks To Update Voting Equipment
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio’s elections chief wants counties to modernize their voting machines before the 2020 presidential election, and he’s urging the governor and state lawmakers to foot much of the bill.
Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted tells The Associated Press he sent a letter to state legislative leaders Thursday seeking $118 million in state funds for the project. He says that would cover 100 percent of the “lowest estimated cost” for buying the least expensive optical scan equipment.
Counties that wanted to buy more expensive equipment would need to cover the difference with local funds.
If approved, this would be Ohio’s first state-funded voting machine upgrade. A decade ago, voting machines were replaced with federal funds made available after glitches led to a recount in the 2000 presidential election.