The League of Women Voters of Connecticut and a coalition of allied organizations submitted the following letter to Governor Lamont in early September, 2023:

Urgent Funding Needed for Reliable Tabulators and Upgrades

Dear Governor Lamont,

In the fast-approaching 2024 national election, Connecticut stands at a pivotal moment. Over
the last two legislative sessions, Connecticut made great strides to champion access to the
ballot box. Your words, emphasizing the importance of this effort, resound: “improve the ability
of voters to cast their ballots and enable more people to participate in our
democracy.” However, the progress we've made could be sabotaged by the breakdown of our
old and unrepairable tabulators.
Our current tabulators present a critical concern: they are over two decades old, the model is no
longer in production, and the scarcity of replacement parts forces election administrators to
scrounge for parts on platforms like eBay. The threat of malfunction became a real crisis during
the 2021 Primary, when a distressing 50 machines suffered breakdowns and rendered
themselves inoperable. Expecting these machines to hold up through a national election season
is not prudent. To efficiently, effectively, and securely run elections in the 2024 national
election, we need reliable tabulators.
We’ve made great strides in expanding access to the ballot for all eligible voters in
Connecticut. Let’s not take the chance that malfunctioning machines sabotage our laudable
work.
We urge you to include bonding for tabulators and upgrades to the automatic voter registration
system, in compliance with Public Act 21-2, in the September Bonding Commission Meeting
agenda. Without timely approval, the intricate processes of selecting, ordering, and training
personnel on new tabulators cannot feasibly conclude before the critical November 2024
elections.
Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. We eagerly anticipate your support and action
to secure the future of our democracy.

Signed,