Acting Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said Gov. Tom Wolf's budget proposal to invest $75 million over five years to replace Pennsylvania voting systems was necessary to ensure more secure and verifiable elections.

Boockvar's department oversees state elections in Pennsylvania.

The Associated Press reported that replacing voting machines ahead of 2020's presidential election has been a priority for Wolf, and the proposal included in his budget address to the General Assembly on Feb. 5—$15 million per year for five years—aimed at helping counties pay for machines that leave a voter-marked and auditable “paper trail.”

“There is widespread agreement across the nation that it is in the best interest of election integrity to use voting systems meeting the highest standards of security and auditability,” Acting Boockvar said in a statement after the budget message. “We seek this substantial support because these critical purchases should be funded with a cost-share of federal, state and local funds, as all of us in all levels of government benefit from more secure and verifiable elections.”

The Department of State directed in April 2018 that all Pennsylvania counties switch to voting systems with a paper record that voters can verify by the 2020 primary, which is expected to be held in April 2020.

The proposal would add to the $14 million in federal and state funding already directed by Wolf to counties for new voting systems.

Boockvar said the Department of State will continue to pursue more federal assistance and other funding sources, such as low-interest loans and leases, to assist counties in paying for their new voting systems. It also has provided a statewide purchasing contract that counties can use to negotiate their best deal, while including specifics that will best meet their needs.

Most Pennsylvania counties use outdated direct recording electronic machines, which are still in use in only 13 states, according to the Department of State's statement.

The U.S. Senate and House intelligence committees, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and many experts have urged states to switch to new systems that produce paper records before the 2020 election.