Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RALPH ANSAMI
Bessemer — Gogebic County will seek a grant to cover the $20,125 cost of new voting machines.
The county board of commissioners voted 6-0 Wednesday to seek the grant through the Help America Vote Act which allows the county to apply for voting equipment for all precincts in the county.
The new system would be used for the first time during the 2018 election cycle, according to county clerk Gerry Pelissero.
“There would be no cost to the county for the first five years,” Pelissero said.
The board approved a resolution seeking the grant to cover the first five years of costs outlined in a quote from the Dominion Voting Systems company.
The county and local units of government would then pay the base system extended service and maintenance fees for years six through 10 of the new voting system’s operation.
Pelissero said the cost to the county would be a maximum of around $1,700 after the first five years.
Pelissero said an April presentation was attended by local officials on the new system.
County commissioner Tom Laabs, of Ironwood, said he was surprised to see there were 13,599 registered voters in the county. That shows the school-aged population continues to decline.
In other business Wednesday, the county board approved a credit card request for equalization director Kathy Jo Koval, up to $2,000.
