4.__Recount costs.__The Office of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions, Elections Division must be reimbursed for the costs associated with recounts performed pursuant to this section as specified in this subsection.

A.__Costs associated with recounts conducted pursuant to subsection 1 or 3 must be reimbursed using funds from the fund.

B.__Costs associated with recounts conducted pursuant to subsection 2 must be recovered from the vendor or manufacturer of the voting machines involved in those recounts unless the cause of the discrepancy is shown to be due to negligence or malfeasance on the part of state employees, in which case the costs must be borne by the State.__All contracts between the State and voting machine vendors and manufacturers must contain provisions stating the requirements of__this paragraph.

C.__Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections 1, 2 and 3, if the amount of money in the fund is inadequate to offset the costs of implementing a recount under subsection 1 or 3, the recount procedures of this section must be temporarily limited to those for which there is sufficient funding.__Recounts conducted pursuant to subsection 1 have priority over recounts required pursuant to subsection 3.

5.__Maine Electoral Transparency Fund.__The Maine Electoral Transparency Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established to finance recounts and auditing of voting machines pursuant to this section.__The fund is a special, dedicated,