The voting machines in Gloucester do exactly what they are supposed to do - they count votes accurately.

But that is apparently not good enough for the federal government. The city - along with several dozen other communities in Massachusetts and thousands across the nation - has been informed by the manufacturer that it will have to replace them. In Gloucester, the bill is estimated to be around $80,000.

The mandate, from the dubiously named federal Election Assistance Commission, calls to mind one of the more famous quotes of former President Ronald Reagan: "The most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

Relatively speaking, this is not a major fiscal problem - $80,000 is one-tenth of 1 percent of an $80 million budget. And Mayor Carolyn Kirk will have much bigger things to complain about when she travels to Washington to testify about unfunded federal mandates - she estimates the city is on the hook for $150 million in unfunded, mandated improvements to its sewer system.

But the principle is far more significant. There is a credible argument to be made that a sewer system that pollutes the harbor must be fixed, to protect the environment. There is no credible argument for spending $80,000 to replace equipment that does its job well.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry, who met with Kirk last week, said he will push for the city to receive a waiver, so it can continue to use the machines.

Here's hoping he pushes hard. There is a reason to replace infrastructure that is not working. There is no good reason to replace equipment that works well.