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Senate debates bill to create voting-equipment commission and set aside $2.5 million for county purchases
Summary
House Bill 16 would create a commission to recommend uniform voting equipment and makes a $2.5 million appropriation to assist counties; senators raised concerns about funding before study and about cost, certification and vote integrity.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate debated House Bill 16 on the floor, which would create a commission to recommend what voting equipment counties should purchase and include a $2.5 million appropriation to help counties buy that equipment.
Sponsor Senator Dayton said the commission is intended to encourage uniformity across counties and that the appropriation is designed to fund up to 25 percent of equipment costs — not to mandate a specific product. "It doesn't mandate that it has to be electronic equipment," Dayton said, and noted the state must provide at least one ADA-compliant machine and one physical voting location per county.
Senator Hilliard questioned appropriating $2.5 million before the commission studies options: "Why $2,500,000 if we don't yet know what the commission is going to find or recommend?" Senator Fillmore echoed concern that funding before recommendations could create an arbitrary funding cap and suggested the commission study options and return with a recommendation and a specific dollar amount.
Senator Escamilla supported the bill, noting the appropriation is roughly 20 percent of the prior investment and argued counties have outdated election equipment and need investment to protect vote integrity.
Sponsor Dayton said the appropriation could be committed but not spent immediately and that the money could be distributed over time; she also said federally and state-certified equipment options are limited and purchasing statewide could yield discounts. The sponsor moved to read House Bill 16 for a third time and a roll-call vote followed; the provided transcript shows extensive roll-call participation and debate, and a later motion to table HB16 appears in the record but the provided transcript does not include a final recorded disposition for HB16.
The issue outlined in debate: whether to appropriate funds now to guarantee state assistance or to wait for the commission’s recommendations before allocating money. The bill was left with further procedural activity in the provided transcript.
