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February 27, 2013 <br /> Page Two (2) <br /> During the 2007 Legislative session, House Bill 537 was passed and it required <br /> counties in Florida to use marksense ballots (paper ballots) for precinct and early <br /> voting sites. It also required a touchscreen voting machine at each precinct and <br /> early voting site for voters with disabilities. <br /> The Legislature in 2007 provided money for Indian River County to purchase 54 <br /> optical scanners and to lease one Ballot-On-Demand printer to be used for early <br /> voting. The State gave Indian River County $310,500 to buy 54 optical scanners. <br /> That amounted to one optical scanner per precinct with none for training or <br /> back-up. A separate grant in the amount of$45,565.81 was available for leasing <br /> one Ballot-On-Demand printer for early voting/absentee printing needs and <br /> $17,250 for three optical scanners for early voting. <br /> At the time, the Department of State knew that the voting system equipment <br /> was and still is "vendor specific," and the Legislature did not intend for counties <br /> to buy a whole new voting system. The optical scanners were just one <br /> component of a voting system. (As I stated above, Indian River County paid <br /> approximately$2 million dollars in 2002 for an entire new voting system.) <br /> In 2007, Indian River County already had the Sequoia software for the tabulation <br /> system, the ballot layout software, the hardware and software to count <br /> absentee ballots, and we had the touchscreen voting machines needed to use in <br /> each precinct and early voting site for voters with disabilities. The major <br /> component that was missing from Indian River County's voting system was the <br /> optical scan voting equipment and software to tabulate paper ballots. <br /> Legislation also passed in 2007 included Florida Statute 101.56075 (3) which <br /> stipulated "By 2012, persons with disabilities shall vote on a voter interface <br /> device that meets the voter accessibility requirements for individuals with <br /> disabilities under s. 301 of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002. <br /> Under the assumption that by 2012, Indian River County would be required to <br /> purchase new voting equipment for persons with disabilities to comply with <br /> Florida Statute 101.56075, it made no sense for Indian River County to purchase <br /> a whole new voting system at the time. Indian River County chose to upgrade <br /> their current Sequoia voting system to comply with House Bill 537 mandating the <br /> use of marksense ballots (paper ballots) instead of purchasing a whole new <br /> q3-� a <br />