Money Available For New Voting Machines.
Associated Press 06 June 2005.

Counties eager to get going with new voting-machine systems will be able to begin their work soon.
     
The state Controlling Board this afternoon released $115 million in federal money for counties to purchase the new systems mandated by federal law.

The Help America Vote Act authorizes the payments to replace punch-card ballots that came under scrutiny in the presidential election fiasco in Florida in 2000.

Fifty-six counties have chosen a system. Three are available: electronic touch-screen machines made by Diebold Election Systems and optical scan systems made by Diebold and Election Systems & Software. Optical scan machines read pencil marks made by voters to signify their choices.

E.S.S. and 32 counties have sued Blackwell and had their deadlines for choosing a vendor extended to September 15th. E.S.S. says its touch-screen machines will have federal and state certification by the end of August at the latest.