Pennsylvania’s Acting Secretary of State, Kathy Boockvar, visited Northampton County on Thursday to present a $341,970 check to help pay for the $2.9 million Express Vote XL voting system approved by County Council in May. The County intends to use this system, which combines a 32-inch touch screen with a voter-verifiable paper trail, in November’s election.

This purchase was an unfunded mandate. Last year, Pennsylvania’s Department of State directed all 67 counties to select new voting systems with a voter verifiable paper trail, making post-election audits more accurate. They must be in place before the 2020 primary. Though the statewide cost of this change is estimated at $125 million to $150 million, the state has yet to provide most of the funding. In fact, the $341,970 check delivered to Northampton County on Thursday comes mostly from a federal grant awarded to the states last year.

The state legislature tried to help the counties. In July, the General Assembly passed a bill to reimburse counties for at least 60 percent of the actual cost of these new voting systems.

Governor Tom Wolf vetoed the measure because it also eliminated straight-ticket voting.

After this setback, Governor Wolf proposed floating a bond for new voting systems through the state’s Economic Development Financing Authority (PEDFA). But Republicans argue the Governor lacks constitutional authority to borrow or spend money without approval from the General Assembly. Moreover, PEDFA bylaws prohibit borrowing on behalf of state departments without approval from the legislature.

Acting Secretary Boockvar still held out hope for a PEDFA bond, but Wolf appears to have reversed himself. He is now willing to support a bill nearly identical to the measure he vetoed in July. His spokesperson said that, despite opposition from many Democrats over the elimination of straight-party voting, the governor now views the amended bill as a compromise.

So far, 52 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties have taken steps toward selecting a new voting system. Northampton and Lehigh Counties are two of 46 counties ready to use these new systems in November.

Boockvar said Northampton County’s Express Vote XL is one of seven systems certified at both the state and federal levels. She added that Pennsylvania’s certification process is even more rigorous than the federal review.

Executive Lamont McClure put it more simply.

“Your vote will be counted,” he said.

In addition to a paper trail for every ballot, the Express Vote XL has been lauded for its accessibility by organizations like the Pennsylvania Council for the Blind.