(Solano) County pays $415,000 to get out of e-voting contract

[Kadie]

County pays $415,000 to get out of e-voting contract

The Associated Press


Last Updated: September 1, 2004, 10:55:15 AM PDT


FAIRFIELD, Calif. (AP) - Solano County paid $415,000 to get out of a contract with voting equipment manufacturer Diebold Inc., and county officials will instead buy $4.2 million in new equipment from a rival company.

Deputy County Counsel Wendy Getty said the county reached a settlement Aug. 16 with Diebold. The North Canton, Ohio-based company installed nearly 1,200 paperless touchscreen voting machines throughout the county after winning the contract in 2002.

The county was one of dozens across the country that opted for electronic ballots to avoid problems with "hanging chads" that plagued the 2000 presidential election.

But in May, California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley banned the type of machines used in Solano and three other counties after discovering uncertified software and other problems that potentially "jeopardized" the outcomes of the March presidential primary and other elections. Computer scientists had alerted state officials of serious security breaches with the paperless system, which does not include printers and does not produce paper records suitable for a recount in case of a contested election.

more...
http://www.modbee.com/state_wire/story/9077450p-9976748c.html

[arcane1]

1. sweet!

:bounce:

I remember writing the Sec of State last year about these infernal things, and his reply was basically "I agree 100%, and am watching this issue VERY closely"

:party: