County might have to pay for unused voting machines

In 2005, Doña Ana County was required by the state to spend more than $500,000 to purchase new electronic voting machines. A year later, the state changed courses and switched to paper ballots.

The machines, which are sitting in a warehouse, have never been and will never be used. A similar situation played out in counties across the state.

Doña Ana County made one payment of $50,000 for purchase of the new machines in 2005 before the state Board of Finance declared a moratorium on payments pending proposed legislation that would have the state, instead of counties, foot the bill.

Lawmakers failed to approve the legislation in 2006 and earlier this year. The state informed Doña Ana County recently that the moratorium is about the end, and it has to make its next payment of more than $50,000 for the machines by Dec. 31.

County Elections Supervisor Lynn Ellins informed commissioners about the situation at today’s meeting. The New Mexico Association of Counties is urging the Legislature to appropriate more than $3 million to foot the bill for the counties, which would save Doña Ana County more than $450,000.

Commissioner Bill McCamley said he not only supports such a resolution, but doesn’t thin the county should make the Dec. 31 payment.

“If the state is going to force us to buy machines and then say a year later that we’re not going to use them, then they should pay the bill,” he said at the meeting.

“I absolutely, 100 percent agree,” said Commission Chairwoman Karen Perez.