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RESOLUTION URGING THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO RELEASE HAVA FUNDS TO COUNTIES TO PAY FOR VOTING EQUIPMENT

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WHEREAS, also in 2001, Miami-Dade County spent approximately $25 million to purchase a touch screen voting system; and
WHEREAS, in 2003, the federal government allocated $250 million to the State of Florida as part of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), of which only $3.5 million was disbursed to Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, in 2007, the Florida Legislature passed legislation rendering the touch screen voting machines obsolete, except in the case of voters with disabilities, and requiring �mark sense� ballots, defined as ballots that result in a paper record; and
WHEREAS, also in 2007, Miami-Dade County spent approximately $12 million to purchase optical scan and ballot on demand equipment to comply with the 2007 law; and
WHEREAS, the funding the Florida Legislature provided in 2007 covered less than half of the cost to convert from a touch screen voting system to a mark sense voting system, providing approximately $5 million in funds to Miami-Dade County, but leaving an unfunded mandate of approximately $7 million that the County was required to absorb; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County currently has $10 million in outstanding debt associated with the touch screen voting system purchase in 2001, and an additional $13 million in new debt that the County incurred purchasing the mark sense voting system in 2007; and
WHEREAS, Section 251 of HAVA provides funds to purchase new voting systems, implement provisional voting, provide information to voters on election day and implement a statewide voter registration database, as well as other activities to improve the administration of elections; and
WHEREAS, the State of Florida is using tens of millions of dollars of federal Section 251 HAVA funds to fund operations and positions of the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections; and
WHEREAS, these Section 251 funds being held by the state could be released to counties to pay for outstanding debts for two sets of voting systems that counties have been required to purchase within a period of only eight years,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the Florida Legislature to release HAVA funds to counties to pay for voting equipment.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the Governor, Senate President, House Speaker, Chair of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Elections, Chair of the House Governmental Affairs Policy Committee and Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade County State Legislative Delegation.
Section 3. Directs the County�s state lobbyists to advocate for the passage of the legislation set forth in Section 1 above, and authorizes and directs that the 2010 State Legislative Package be amended to include this item.