It's been fifteen years since Florida's voting machines sent a presidential election into turmoil. And it's been seven years since Hillsborough County got new voting equipment.
On Wednesday, Hillsborough County Commissioners will be asked to buy new voting equipment for 2016 - a year earlier than planned in the county's two year budget. The new equipment may make the voting process easier and more reliable.
County Elections Supervisor Craig Latimer is asking for $3 million for new optical voting machines. He's moving his request up a year because 75% of Hillsborough's nearly 770,000 voters are expected to turn out for primaries in March and August and for November's general election.
Latimer says that while the 2000 election may seem like eons ago, voters still want to be confident when they cast their ballots.
"[We] certainly don't want a voter walking away from the poll wondering whether or not their vote was cast," he said.
County elections supervisors across the state are also hoping to get new equipment for their counties for the upcoming 2016 election cycle.
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