Mohave County election office needs parts to repair voting machines

The Mohave County elections department needs replacement parts for its voting machines, and those parts have just come onto the market. But the county will have to act fast: The federal funding that would pay for those parts is set to expire next week.

The Help America Vote Act provides federal funding to pay for updated and upgraded voting equipment, as well as providing states with provisional voting capability, voting information for residents and voter identification procedures. But funding under the law is expected to expire March 22.

Replacement parts for Mohave County’s voting machines have been much sought, but in short supply until recently. Now Elections Director Allen Tempert has asked the county to approve a $5,039 budget adjustment for his department from the Help America Vote Act 2018 Elections Security Grant to secure those parts, which will be used to repair electronic poll books.

That funding would also allow backup parts to be sent to polling sites on election day when necessary.

About $115,000 in Help America Vote Act funding was used in 2021 to purchase electronic poll books for county elections, and an additional $56,000 in grant funding was used to purchase handicap-accessible voting equipment for the county.

The Mohave County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Monday - Two days before the election department’s deadline - on whether to approve the use of grant funding for the purchase of new electronic poll book parts at the board’s next meeting Monday, March 20in Kingman.