$22 million for Philly voting machines gets thumbs down

Philadelphia City Council has given thumbs down to a budget request for new voting machines, at least for now. 

Council President Darrell Clarke made the announcement during council budget hearings, through an amendment to the budget.

“This councilmatic body has reservations about making such a large expenditure on equipment that is less than 10 years old,” he said. “Especially given the other capital needs of existing municipal owned buildings in the city. This delay will give us the time to evaluate the request more fully.”

City commissioners, who run elections, did not show up to budget hearings to justify the expenditure it’s on hold, Clarke said.

“To suggest that we need to appropriate $22 million for machines that, in most people’s minds, clearly do not need to be replaced makes no sense to us,” he said.

The money could be diverted to fix the city’s crumbling police and fire stations, Clarke said.