A bipartisan group of North Carolina election officials is urging Republican lawmakers to unfreeze $4 million in federal money that they say is necessary to accommodate a large voter turnout and ensure the integrity of the 2012 ballot.

The Help America Voter Act money typically covers the cost of voting machine maintenance, poll-worker training and early-voting sites. But to get the money, the state must allocate an additional $664,000 to the State Board of Elections to meet federal guidelines - a move that Republican lawmakers seem reluctant to do.

The election funding showdown comes at a time when North Carolina prepares for the national political spotlight as host of the Democratic National Convention and expects to play a key role selecting the next president as a swing state.

Democracy North Carolina, a liberal-leaning election advocacy group, issued a memorandum that puts a potential stalemate in stark terms: "North Carolina could become the next Florida."

The group's executive director, Bob Hall, believes the frozen money fits a pattern that suggests Republican legislative leaders want to suppress voter turnout to hurt Democrats' chances in November.

"It looks too much like part of a game plan to make voting more difficult," said Hall, referring to other GOP-backed legislation to require voter identification at the polls, reduce early voting and eliminate same-day registration.

Republican state Sen. Andrew Brock, a key lawmaker in the matter, dismissed such suggestions as "wild accusations."

"We, as Republicans, want people to vote," he said.

Election officials from more than 85 counties sent a letter last week to House Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger asking for them to address the situation in the Feb. 16 legislative mini-session. The signers include Republican board members from 40 counties, organizers said.

Without the money, cash-strapped counties could struggle with election costs, particularly smaller counties that can't afford the expensive maintenance fees charged by Election Systems & Software of Omaha, Neb., which is under contract to sell and service all the voting machines in the state. It also could lead to fewer early-voting sites and longer lines on Election Day.

The offices of Tillis and Berger referred inquires about the issue to Brock, a Senate budget writer.