Flint Township View

Flint Twp. selling voting machines





FLINT TWP. — A reduction in precincts has left the township with more voting equipment than it needs and created the opportunity to bring in a bit of income by selling a surplus election machine to Davison Township.

The township board voted unanimously at its Sept. 10 meeting to the sell the equipment for $1,500.

Clerk Kim Courts said the M-100 election machine is one of five extra ones the township has in reserve since redistricting this year reduced the number of precincts to 15 down from 20 previously.

Courts said Davison Clerk Karen Miller approached her about purchasing one of the extra election machines. Courts said she supported the sale but wanted to hang on to the other four as backups.

Trustee Barb Vert asked how the sales amount was reached.

Courts said the machine was about 8-12 years old and cost about $5000 new a few years ago. Also Miller indicated she had $1500 to $2000 in her budget to buy the machine.

Courts said money from the sale would be added to the township’s elections budget.

The machine is a voter-activated paper ballot counter and vote tabulator, according to the manufacturer’s’ website. It is typically used at the precinct level nationwide.

Voters will recognize it as the last step in the voting process when their finished ballot is fed into the machine for counting.


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