BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) \u2014 Kern County is seeking reimbursements for purchases it has made to update its voting equipment since 2015 \u2014 and any spendings for potential voting system or equipment changes through this August \u2014 according to the Kern County Board of Supervisors meeting agenda for Tuesday.<\/p>\n
A letter sent to the Board by Auditor-Controller-County Clerk Aimee Espinoza asks supervisors to approve the Voting System Replacement Contract 2025 with the California Secretary of State.<\/p>\n
Watch \u2018After Sunrise\u2019 on KGET+; Click to learn how to get KGET+ on your smart TV devices <\/a><\/p>\n If approved, the county could ask the state to reimburse eligible purchases, lease agreements and contracts the county has made \u2014 or will make \u2014 for voting system replacements from April 19, 2015, through Aug. 31, 2026.<\/p>\n This contract could reimburse up to $3,397,400, according to the agenda. The county has to match 25% of that, which is $849,350.06.<\/p>\n The match can include funds the county has already spent for qualifying purchases. This means the county won\u2019t have to pay new costs for reimbursements on payments already made.<\/p>\n The agreement would reimburse about $1.2 million the county has already spent in relation with the voting changes, the agenda said. After this, the county would have $2.2 million left, pending additional qualifying spendings that have already been made.<\/p>\n Espinoza said the list of the county\u2019s payments eligible for reimbursement has not been confirmed yet. Qualifying updates to equipment made over the years include electronic poll books, drop boxes, extractors, checkpoint routers and sorter bins.<\/p>\n The county has not replaced its voting system since 2015, but will have to look for a new voting system in the future, according to Espinoza.<\/p>\n