 The machines cost only $185 each in 1965 dollars, and weighed only 6 pounds.This was one of the first machines to attract serious thinking about accessibility; John Ahmann filed for a patent on a punching stylus for the Votomatic adapted for use by voters with motor disabilities in 1986.IBM marketed the Votomatic until 1968, when it spun off Computer Election Systems Inc. to produce and market the system.