Texas taxpayers face a $100 million bill to update voting machines with equipment that doesn’t exist yet (Texas Tribune)

Texas taxpayers face a $100 million bill to update voting machines with equipment that doesn’t exist yet – By Natalia Contreras and VoteBeat (Texas Tribune) / Feb 10, 2023

State lawmakers approved the requirement — which attracted little attention or debate — in their massive overhaul of the state’s voting laws during a 2021 special Legislative session.

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When state lawmakers passed a sweeping and controversial new election law in 2021, they quietly included a provision that drew little notice or debate.

But election administration experts say the measure is unprecedented, it mandates the purchase of voting technology that doesn’t currently exist — and it’s on the verge of costing taxpayers more than $100 million.

Sponsors of the provision said they aimed to prevent cheating in elections by prohibiting the use of modern technology to count votes and store cast-ballot data. It passed without debate on a voice vote and goes into effect just before the November 2026 general election.

When it does, millions of dollars’ worth of voting equipment will immediately be prohibited by the new law, a situation that could force at least some counties to hand-count ballots for lack of a legal alternative. Election officials across the state are worried they’ll be left without the tools necessary to safely deliver accurate and timely election results.

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