September, 15 2015, 08:30am EDT

NEW STUDY: Voting Machines at Risk Ahead of 2016 Election
43 States Will Have Machines At Least 10 Years Old, Could Lead to Long Lines and Lost Votes
NEW YORK
In 2016, 43 states will use electronic voting machines that are at least 10 years old, perilously close to the end of most systems' expected lifespan, according to a new study released today from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law.
That includes significant percentages of machines in key swing states such as Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia. Old voting equipment increases the risk of failures and crashes -- which can lead to long lines and lost votes on Election Day -- and problems only get worse the longer we wait.
After the Florida election meltdown in 2000, Congress appropriated $2 billion to move to electronic voting systems. But as the Center's new study shows, this technology is rapidly aging out and needs to be replaced.
America's Voting Machines at Risk compiles 10 months of independent research, including conversations with more than 100 election officials and specialists in all 50 states, detailing the extent of the problem. Again and again, experts spoke about the dire need to replace old machines -- and local officials explained how they lacked sufficient funds to pay for them.
"No one expects a laptop to last for 10 years. How can we expect these machines, many of which were designed and engineered in the 1990s, to keep running without increased failures?" said Lawrence Norden, deputy director of the Center's Democracy Program, and co-author of the study. "Old equipment can have serious security flaws, and the longer we delay purchasing new machines, the higher the risk. To avoid a new technology crisis every decade, we must plan for and invest in voting technology for the 21st century."
The Brennan Center authors will discuss the report with election officials and experts at an event in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, September 17.
Other key findings:
- For machines purchased since 2000, the expected lifespan for the core components of electronic voting machines is between 10 and 20 years, and for most systems it is closer to 10. In 2016, 43 states will use machines that are at least 10 years old -- and machines in 14 states will be 15 or more years old. Nearly every state is using some machines that are no longer manufactured and many officials struggle to find replacement parts.
- Jurisdictions in at least 31 states want to purchase new voting machines in the next five years, but officials from 22 of those states said they did not know where they would get the money to pay for them.
- The cost of replacing aging equipment could easily exceed $1 billion nationwide.
- Some states leave it to individual counties to buy machines -- and there is compelling evidence that bigger, wealthier counties have purchased new machines, while poorer, rural counties are left with old equipment. In Virginia, for example, the median income of jurisdictions that purchased new machines was $69,800, compared to $50,100 for those without. This preliminary analysis came before one type of machine used in Virginia was decertified, which forced many counties, rich and poor, to get new equipment.
- State innovations offer the possibility of better and less expensive voting machines. Many of these improvements are driven by election officials. In Los Angeles, California, for example, head of elections Dean Logan is designing his own flexible, touch-screen system to meet the unique needs of a county with approximately 5 million registered voters who speak 12 languages. Counties in Texas and Colorado are also implementing innovative systems.
"Technology has changed dramatically in the last decade," added Voting Rights Researcher Christopher Famighetti, co-author of the report. "Several recent innovations show it's possible to move toward more affordable and flexible voting machines. States must develop plans to deal with aging machines before 2016, and invest in the next generation of machines for future elections to come."
Read America's Voting Machines at Risk here.
The Brennan Center for Justice is a nonpartisan law and policy institute. We strive to uphold the values of democracy. We stand for equal justice and the rule of law. We work to craft and advance reforms that will make American democracy work, for all.
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While the backtracking by the administration was welcome, one immigration expert warned people to "stay tuned for a round 2.0 of this."
Apr 25, 2025
This is a developing story... Please check back for possible updates...
A U.S. Department of Justice attorney told a federal court on Friday that the Trump administration will restore the visa status of thousands of foreign students after removing their information from a nationwide database, which led some universities to inform students that they must immediately self-deport and sparked numerous legal battles.
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Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin says Democrats should stop using the term "oligarchy" because, she says, no one knows what it means. These people say she’s wrong.
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— John Nichols (@nicholsuprising.bsky.social) April 24, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Slotkin's advice for Democrats, which she dubbed her "war plan" and gave ahead of several speeches she has planned, also included a call for the party to stop being "weak and woke," phrases she said she heard in Michigan focus groups.
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Apr 25, 2025
This is a breaking story... Please check back for possible updates...
Federal agents arrested a sitting Wisconsin judge on Friday, accusing her of helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest after he appeared in her courtroom last week, FBI Director Kash Patel said on social media.
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FBI arrests judge in escalation of Trump immigration enforcement effort Federal agents arrested Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan on obstruction charges. Dugan is accused of “helping” an immigrant evade arrest. The fascism getting turned up!
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— RootsAction ( @rootsaction.org) April 25, 2025 at 8:05 AM
It is unclear why Patel deleted the post. U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Brady McCarron and multiple Milwaukee County judges confirmed Dugan's arrest, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. McCarron said Dugan is facing two federal felony counts: obstruction and concealing an individual.
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Dugan's attorney, Craig Mastantuono, told the court that "Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest," which "was not made in the interest of public safety."
The FBI had reportedly been investigating allegations that Dugan helped the undocumented man avoid arrest by letting him hide in her chambers.
Here's the magistrate-signed complaint in US v. Dugan. She's charged with two counts, 18 USC 1505 and 1701; it doesn't appear they used a grand jury.
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— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw.bsky.social) April 25, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Wisconsin state Rep. Ryan Clancy (D-19) said in a statement Wednesday that "several witnesses report that [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] did not present a warrant before entering the courtroom and it is not clear whether ICE ever possessed or presented a judicial warrant, generally required for agents to access non-public spaces like Judge Dugan's chambers."
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FBI has arrested Judge Hannah Dugan in Milwaukee, WI, for "helping an illegal escape arrest." FBI hasn't provided an arrest warrant or criminal complaint, but Judge Dugan already sits behind bars. We told you it would escalate when they disappeared immigrants without due process. This is fascism.
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. ( @qasimrashid.com) April 25, 2025 at 9:21 AM
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