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Secretary of the State seeks statutory fix to allow gifting of new tabulators to towns, avoid lease burden
Summary
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas asked the GAE committee to pass HB 7129, clarifying that the state may transfer election tabulators to towns rather than lease them under current law; she said leasing would impose inventory, inspection and local legal costs and could delay local access to machines ahead of scheduled elections.
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas told the Government Administration and Elections Committee that HB 7129 would codify a practice used during a previous statewide tabulator rollout and allow the state to transfer ownership of 3,000 new tabulators, high‑speed and medium‑speed counters, to Connecticut towns rather than lease them.
Thomas said the equipment purchase is the first substantial replacement cycle in nearly 20 years and that after legal review the Office of the Secretary of the State concluded that current law technically requires leases rather than a transfer of ownership. Thomas said leases would create administrative burdens for the state and towns: the state would retain the equipment as an asset, requiring annual visual inspections across 169 towns, and towns would face attorney time and legislative‑body approval to accept leases. She cited at least one town already caught in timing problems where a late legislative meeting threatened delivery of tabulators for an April election.
Thomas said nothing about maintenance responsibility would change: towns would remain responsible for storage and upkeep of the machines as they have in previous cycles. She asked the committee to approve HB 7129 so the state can follow the bulk‑purchase, gifting model used roughly two decades ago after federal HAVA funding allowed a nationwide equipment upgrade; the change will minimize administrative duplication and avoid lease negotiation burdens for small towns.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about whether the state would remain a partner for manufacturer troubleshooting and maintenance; Thomas said the Secretary’s Office will continue to coordinate warranties, vendor relationships and vendor support for towns.
Ending: Thomas urged passage of HB 7129 to remove the unanticipated lease requirement and to ensure towns receive tabulators efficiently during the ongoing distribution scheduled to finish in June.
