Have you ever had an electronic device that was so old that when something broke on it you couldn’t find any replacement parts because of its age?

That’s the image Secretary of State Steve Simon shares when he begins to discuss the rising need to replace the state’s aging election equipment. As the equipment nears the end of its lifespan, the question looms about how replacement equipment will be paid for and where to find parts if needed.

In the aftermath of the 2000 Florida presidential recount and the controversy surrounding state election equipment at that time, Congress in 2002 passed one-time federal funds to purchase election equipment in all 50 states. That equipment had a lifespan of 10 to 15 years.

That funding has not been renewed, and counties are now faced with the obligation of replacing that equipment on their own. While some counties have the financial resources to purchase new equipment, many will face funding challenges when faced with the task.

A group of city and county leaders, election officials and legislators from across the state have met to develop solutions to resolve this issue, and it is estimated it will cost $28 million to replace the election equipment statewide. Simon said that number breaks down to an estimated $10,000 per polling place across the state.

Providing residents the opportunity to vote is a statutory requirement for counties, and we hope that the state would provide at least a portion of the cost to aid counties unable to fund this on their own.

Simon has testified on the need to replace Minnesota’s aging election equipment to the Minnesota House State Departments and Veterans Budget Division, and on March 30, 2016, a bill was introduced that created a $15 million grant fund to replace aging election equipment. That bill didn’t make it out of the State Government Finance Committee.

This year, Dayton included a $14 million proposal to replace election equipment over four years, and the House has proposed $14 million in fiscal year 2018. The bill has been laid over for possible inclusion in the House State Government Finance omnibus bill. On the Senate side, there is a combined $6.7 million for election equipment, which would mostly benefit non-metro counties.

While Simon admits he is hesitant to say this has reached a “crisis” level, this must be addressed before it comes to that point. We encourage legislators to include at least partial funding to aid counties in this task.