MD Official Resists Call to Change Voting System

[MountainLaurel]

A situation to keep an eye on:

The state's top elections official declared her confidence in Maryland's voting machines yesterday and said that changing systems seven months before the primary election would be a "catastrophe" and a waste of money.

Elections Administrator Linda H. Lamone's comments came one day after Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) questioned the reliability of the state's touch-screen machines and called for a system that provides a paper record to verify election results.

Since 2002, Maryland has paid more than $45 million to phase in electronic voting across the state. The security of the machines, manufactured by Diebold Election Systems, has since come under scrutiny, with critics saying computer hackers could manipulate election results.

"We've spent a lot of money on the system, and we're literally going to be throwing it all away," Lamone testified at a hearing on legislation that would require vote verification technology for the upcoming election. "I think you are asking for a catastrophe if you try to change."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/16/AR2006021602185.html

[wtbymark]

1. well, MD's election will be fixed - who's next? n/t

[bullimiami]

2. they already threw it away on crap. too late.