A request for additional voting equipment for the November general election will be before the Board of Public Works for approval. The request appears to place all funding responsibility onto county governments, despite a MACo request that the state and county historically split such costs.

MACo recently sent a letter requesting that the content be funded with a 50/50 split of state and county funds, consistent with a 2001 law and in line with the practice since then.

Details of the funding request are in the lengthy Board of Public Works Agenda for August 17. The item (largely technical equipment) appears under the Department of Information Technology section of the report, beginning on page 93 of the agenda packet. This link takes you directly to the item in question.

While the details of the equipment being purchased (or in some cases rented) are fairly clear from the agenda packet, the proposed funding source is not. The proposal references only “Special Funds,” which have traditionally referenced areas for county reimbursement. If that is accurate, then the pending request would place the full cost of this new equipment onto county governments.

MACo remains in contact with the Administration, and the members of the Board of Public Works, to help guide the deliberations ahead.

References: Previous Conduit Street coverage | MACo letter from July 27