"Although our existing machines continue to function, they are more than 17 years old and election officials tell us that they are starting to show their age," Lamont said in a statement. "Implementing a statewide replacement of all these machines now will ensure that election workers continue to have the tools they need to conduct an Election Day that runs smooth and free of any glitches that could potentially be caused by outdated technology."

Lamont's office could not say Wednesday when exactly the machines will be in place, but the governor has previously said he expects them to be ready for the 2024 elections.

This spring, Connecticut's legislature authorized the state to borrow money for new election infrastructure, amid concerns that the existing vote tabulators were increasingly unreliable. Because the governor sets the agenda for the bonding commission, however, the process could not move ahead without Lamont's approval.

Earlier this month, a coalition of advocacy groups including the AARP, the ACLU, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and former Secretary of the State Denise Merrill wrote an open letter to Lamont urging him to proceed with bonding for election tabulators and upgrades to the state's automatic voter registration system.

"The threat of malfunction became a real crisis during the 2021 primary, when a distressing 50 machines suffered breakdowns and rendered themselves inoperable," the groups wrote. "To efficiently, effectively, and and securely run elections in the 2024 national election, we need reliable tabulators."