Funding Paper Ballots - page 4

Transition Component Two:

Accessible Ballot Marking Devices

SB392/HB18 provides that Maryland’s voting system shall

“. . . provide access to voters with disabilities that is equivalent to access afforded voters without disabilities without creating a segregated ballot for voters with disabilities [and] ensure the independent, private casting, inspection, verification, and correction of secret ballots by voters with disabilities in an accessible media by both visual and nonvisual means, including synchronized audio output and enhanced visual display”.

And further, “at least one voting system in each polling place on election day shall provide access for voters with disabilities . . .”

One voting system that satisfies this requirement is an accessible Ballot Marking Device, or BMD, such as the AutoMARK Voter Assist Terminal (AutoMark Technical Systems, LLC). The decision to purchase a BMD will be made in consultation with Maryland voters with access concerns. The following is premised on an AutoMark purchase, which is at the high end of BMD options.

1. Cost per unit: Prices obtained in Pennsylvania, Texas and North Carolina corroborate an average price of $5,250 per unit, including necessary options, warranty and maintenance.

2. Required number of units: Under SB392, each polling place must have at least one accessible device in place. Thus, inventory requirements for BMDs are the same as PBOS units, approximately 2,000 (includes backup units).

3. Funds required for BMD purchases: Total cost is $5,250 x 2,000, or $10.5 million. Money is available from DESI repurchases to acquire AutoMARK or another selected BMD. : The funds available for BMDs are derived from a repurchase of Diebold Accuvote TS units, at a figure of $750 per unit based on the Alameda County repurchase agreement (see page 3). The number of DREs available for repurchase, after allowance for trade-in on Diebold PBOS, is approximately 13,390 units. The total repurchase is thus 13,390 x $750 or $10,043,000 to be applied against BMD purchases.

Conclusion

By utilizing the value inherent in Maryland’s existing inventory of voting units, the net cost of implementing voter-verifiable paper records can be reduced to a figure of $457,000. This does not include further cost savings from reduced election administration costs (see page 3) which are shared equally between the state and counties.

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