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commissioners. Yet, the county's machines are in their seventh year, she pointed out. "They have us over a barrel if they end up not supporting what we have," she added. Dominion is one of the two major vendors in Florida that have U.S. Election Assistance Commission certification for voting machines, Dent noted, and both firms have new prod- ucts on the market. Commissioner Nora Patterson asked whether Dent has heard reports about the machines malfunctioning after a certain period of time or whether, as it seemed to Patterson, the manufacturers "are rendering the equipment obsolete." If the latter is the case, Patterson added, "It's a very self-serving thing." Dent replied that Patterson was correct in her guess about the motive being "self-serving," saying, "It's exactly what they're doing." "It's a statewide issue," Patterson pointed out, to which Dent responded, "It's a nation- wide issue." "Yeah, but that's harder to control," Patterson told her, adding that the County Commission could let its legislators know of its concerns about the matter. "It's a conversation that we definitely are going to have," Dent said of Florida supervi- sors of elections bringing the matter to the attention of the state Legislature. Some counties "have waited and waited" to replace their equipment, Dent pointed out, "not knowing whether to move now or wait." "I'm sure we'd be glad to help" press the case to the Legislature, Patterson told Dent. "Since you're the ones that have to purchase the system," Dent replied. "It seems appropriate for you to spearhead [the discussion with the state legislators] and then we'll climb on board," Patterson said. "I'll do it," Dent responded. In response to a question from Commissioner Joe Barbetta, Dent reported that during the 2008 presidential election, about 40 percent of the county's voters cast absentee ballots. "I would not support [buying] any more machines," Barbetta told Dent. "I'd push hard for voting by mail," though the state would have to approve that, he added. "The voter turnout is much, much greater." "They can sit at their kitchen table at mid- night in their pajamas and vote if they want Kathy Dent is the supervisor of elections in Sarasota County. Photo by Norman Schimmel Sarasota News Leader July 4, 2014 Page 78