Creating a paper trail: Why Pennsylvania is shelling out for new voting machines

The state says there's no evidence its voting machines have ever been hacked. So why is Pa. forcing all 67 counties to buy new ones to the tune of $120 million?

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A technician works to prepare voting machines  in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

A technician works to prepare voting machines in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is forcing all 67 counties to buy new voting machines by 2020, a process that could cost about $120 million. And while there have been ongoing concerns about hacking and tampering amid reports of Russian interference in the 2016 election, the state says there’s no evidence that Pennsylvania’s voter rolls have ever been compromised. So why are countries shelling out for new voting machines, including Philadelphia, which approved a top-of-the-line model last week? On this episode of The Why, WESA’s politics and government editor Chris Potter explains.

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