Counties angered by state ruling on electronic voting

[UpInArms]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20040504-0223-ca-electronicvoting.html

LOS ANGELES – Election officials in several counties affected by the state's decision to block touch-screen voting say Secretary of State Kevin Shelley's order overstepped his authority.

Following mishaps with electronic voting in the March election, Shelley last week banned the use of Diebold electronic voting machines in San Diego, Kern, Solano and San Joaquin counties. He also set new guidelines that election officials in 10 other counties would have to meet in order to use other electronic voting systems on election day.

The secretary of state can approve or ban manufacturers' voting systems statewide but not on a county-by-county basis, county election officials said.

Some county election officials said they would follow Shelley's ruling, but others said they were exploring options ranging from defying the order, filing a lawsuit or negotiating approval with the secretary of state's office for their various electronic voting systems.

"I'm not sure he can decertify me," said Napa County Registrar of Voters John Tuteur. "Somebody's got to make a decision and that will probably be someone wearing a black robe."

...more...

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. that is stupid

ban the whole state use of them, just not in specific counties.

[cybildisobedience]

2. black robe threat....

how much you want to bet it ends up being Fat Tony Scalia and his fellow thugs?

[AndyTiedye]

3. OF COURSE the ReThug Counties Want to use Rethug Machinez

[havocmom]

4. County election officials in deep doo-doo

and trying to point in other direction. They either got baffled cuz they didn't know what was going on and didn't get advisers who could explain things properly or they got bedazzled by all the, attention the companies were lavishing on them before they signed contracts and sent the checks.

Either way, they are likely to be facing some seriously annoyed property tax payers who footed the bill for the machines which can't be used. They have much explaining to do and it won't be pretty.

[Spirochete]

5. If Diebold was owned by George Soros

would they still be yelling so loud to be able to use them?