The Bay County Commission unanimously backed a resolution asking the state legislature for an extension on new voting machine requirements. According to Supervisor of Elections Mark Andersen, a new legislative mandate requires another overhaul in election equipment.

Every touch-screen would have to replaced with a paper ballot scanning system, called AutoMark. Andersen says that shift would cost the county almost half a million dollars. But, some commissioners say they want more time to discuss the issue with legislators.

Andersen says, "We're not saying that the AutoMark is a bad system. We're not saying that we don't want to do the system. All we're saying is, right now, we might not be able to afford it."

Commissioner Mike Thomas says, "That would give us time to argue with them about it. If they want us to change what we're doing and we're doing things right, I think they should pay for it."

Andersen says Bay County is one of nineteen counties that has supported this resolution so far.