Voting machines designed to help visual and hearing impaired have been in place for years, but the cost of maintaining them will soon fall back from the state to the counties. According to the Alabama Secretary of State’s office, the state received about $45 million in 2002 from the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) fund. That money was put toward updating old voting machines and creating an online voter registration system. During this summer’s meeting of the Alabama Probate Judge’s Association, Secretary John Merrill talked about the fact that the funds are all but gone at this point and that counties will need to take up the cost of running and maintaining these machines.
“If it costs for this to be there, somebody’s got to pay the bill. We’re glad to do it because voting is one of the greatest freedoms and liberties we have as American citizens,” Charles Woodroof, the probate judge of Limestone County, said.
The state will pay for the costs of running these machines through the rest of this current election cycle.
Full Article: Counties to take up cost of voting machines designed aid visual and hearing impaired voters | Appnews | waaytv.com.