Chafee amendment could save RI $5.7 million

The U.S. Senate yesterday approved an amendment authored by Senator Lincoln Chafee to an election reform bill that could save Rhode Island as much as $5.7 million through fiscal year 2006. As written, the bill effectively would have penalized Rhode Island for having had the foresight to begin replacement of its older, Shoup lever, voting machines.



“In 1998 -long before the Florida recount- Rhode Island began upgrading to optical scan voting machines,” Chafee said. “It is unfair to punish states such as Rhode Island for having the foresight to do the right thing in 1998, while rewarding other states and cities that did less to improve their voting technology.”



“This amendment will allow a state or locality that entered into a multi-year contract for upgraded voting equipment to apply for federal grants to cover any payments made after 2001. This amendment not only helps communities that lagged behind, but provides equity to states that recognized and moved to fix these problems long before they caused national turmoil.”