Federal funds available for counties moving to new voting system, Secretary of State Wayne Williams announces

FORT COLLINS, January 21, 2016 – Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams announced Wednesday that he will provide $850,000 to help counties that are purchasing new voting equipment this year and next.

Williams told the Colorado County Clerks Association that the state will use federal Help America Vote Act funds to cover 50 percent of a county's costs to train, test, install and manage the project. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which is a unit within the Justice Department and the grantor, approved Williams' decision.

"We want to help counties in making this important transition that will greatly benefit Colorado voters and their election process," Williams said.

Counties are still responsible for paying for the equipment.

The announcement came Wednesday on the final day of the clerks' association three-day winter conference in Fort Collins, and after weeks of negotiations with Dominion Voting Systems. The firm was the top choice of a committee looking at voting options for the state, and Williams announced Dec. 22 the state would enter into contact talks solely with Dominion.

Mesa County Clerk Sheila Reiner, past president of the clerks association, said the equipment price that the state was able to negotiate was $105,000 cheaper than what Dominion quoted her before the firm was selected by Williams as the sole equipment provider.

"The additional money for implementation," she said, "that just sweetens the deal."

The Colorado County Clerks Association's conference offered clerks and their staffs the opportunity to attend a variety of workshops on topics ranging from motor vehicle registrations, the November election and communication best-practices.