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Some Lawmakers Want Federal Funds To Swap Voting Machines

Lawmakers Propose Change To Allow Paper Ballots

POSTED: 8:06 am CST February 25, 2008
UPDATED: 3:39 pm CST February 25, 2008

A move is under way to change the machines most people in Tennessee vote with.

Video: $25 Million Pricetag Hangs On New Election Machines

The machines may be familiar to anyone who has voted in the state recently, but some are hoping to retire the machines by the November election, Channel 4 reported.

Some lawmakers are proposing a change to optical scan machines. That's where voters fill out a ballot that is then scanned and counted through a machine and then dropped into a sealed container to be stored anonymously in case any recounts are necessary.

While that proposal is moving through the legislature, lawmakers said one of the biggest hurdles has been the $25 million price tag. However, the federal government might be able to pick up that tab.

Tennessee was given $55 million through the Help America Vote Act, and officials said there is plenty of money still there to help fund the voting machine swap -- $34 million is still left in reserve.

Lawmakers said the problem is since they've already used that money to buy voting machines, current policy dictates that the state cannot buy new machines with it.

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., wrote a letter urging the commission in charge of those funds to change its policy. That group is expected to vote in March on whether to do so.

The other issue is time; voter access groups want the new machines in by the November elections. But election officials have said that is too soon.

Tennessee isn't the only state that wants to use these federal funds to buy new voting machines -- Florida has also asked to do the same thing.

Several other states are also looking to switch from electronic machines to optical scan machines.

If the plan passes both chambers in the legislature the governor must make the final decision to authorize the state to use the federal funds in his budget.

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