ORLANDO, Fla. — As Orange County leaders try to iron out their budget for 2023-2024, they’ll likely have to include a lot more money to cover the costs of several elections, including preparation for the presidential election in 2024. 

Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles is asking county commissioners for more than $7 million more than his previous budget to cover the increased costs.

Cowles says new state-approved software in place in his voting machines will help elections run more efficiently, but the machines themselves are outdated — in use since 2007.  They were put in place after Florida leaders mandated the widespread use of optic-scan voting machines statewide, and paid for new such machines in Orange County.  But now, Cowles says the county must replace them with its own money.

“The scanners, those parts are no longer available and the technology is outdated,” he said.

The $3 million plus cost for replacing those machines is part of why Cowles is asking Orange County leaders for a budget that is about 47% larger than his 2022-2023 budget, which amounts to a $7,068,388 increase in spending in 2023-2024.     

“It was a chance for us to upgrade now and have it tested before we get to a big election like the presidential,” he said.

Cowles says a fast-growing Orange County means the county’s voting rolls could pass 900,000 registered voters by the 2024 presidential election, and that means added costs with additional elections including a county-wide election, a presidential preference primary, and Florida’s primary election.

Cowles says with increased suspicion and politically charged pressure scrutinizing the election process, it’s more important than ever to maintain efficiency and transparency in the process.

“We work on the transparency to make sure that we’re showing those who have a concern about the process about what we have and how we do it,” he said.

Orange county leaders are expected to vote on whether to approve the Cowles’ budget on July 25.