The cost of voting in Clarion County could be very expensive in 2020 as the pricetag for new mandated voting machines could be three of four times greater than the original estimate.
Following the fallout from the 2016 presidential campaign, Pennsylvania agreed to install new machines that will have a voter verifiable paper trail. The Department of State wants to have the machines in place for the presidential primary election in 2020.
That will require the purchase of a new voting machine for every precinct in the state. The type of machine and who will pay for the machines is still undetermined.
In addition the county could be required to place a vote tabulation machine in each precinct or, at the very least, a central tabulation system.
The cost will not be determined until the state decides which voting machine will be adopted. There are only three approved at this time.
The Wolf administration has indicated it will seek state funding for at least 50 percent of the cost of new systems, or about $75 million of an estimated $150 million statewide cost. The funding would be in addition to federal funds of $14.15 million already available to the counties.