Diebold machines halted for for 2004 in Ohio

[thatgemguy]

BLACKWELL HALTS DEPLOYMENT OF DIEBOLD VOTING MACHINES FOR 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 16, 2004

BLACKWELL HALTS DEPLOYMENT OF DIEBOLD VOTING MACHINES FOR 2004

COLUMBUS - Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell today halted
deployment of Diebold Election Systems' electronic voting devices in
Ohio for the 2004 General Election. The decision is based on
preliminary findings from the secretary of state's second round of
security testing conducted by Compuware Corporation showing the
existence of previously identified, but yet unresolved security issues.
Hardin, Lorain and Trumbull counties had selected to use new Diebold
equipment this November. Those counties will use their current voting
devices in 2004.

"As I made clear last year, I will not place these voting devices before
Ohio's voters until identified risks are corrected," Blackwell said.
"Diebold Election Systems has successfully addressed many, but not all,
of the problems that were identified in our first security review. The
lack of comprehensive resolution prevents me from giving county boards
of elections a green light for this November.

"I look forward to working with Diebold Election Systems and our other
qualified election system vendors as they continue to bolster security
and develop voting devices that meet Ohio's requirement for
voter-verifiable paper audit trails."

In December 2003, Secretary Blackwell released results from two
comprehensive examinations identifying 57 potential security risks
within the software and hardware of the voting devices offered by Ohio's
qualified electronic voting systems vendors: Diebold Election Systems,
Election Systems and Software, Hart Intercivic, and Sequoia Voting
Systems. He ordered the voting machine manufacturers to resolve all of
the identified issues or face a halt in deployment.

Diebold Election Systems was the only vendor to submit revised voting
software and hardware for retesting.

Compuware Corporation, based in Detroit, conducted the thorough
technical analysis of each of the electronic voting device vendors'
software and hardware. InfoSENTRY, based in Raleigh, NC, conducted
on-site vendor inspections and interviews to assess voting system
vendors' security plans, procedures and processes.

A comprehensive report from Compuware detailing the second round of
security reviews will be available at the secretary of state website
www.sos.state.oh.us <http://www.sos.state.oh.us> when the assessment is complete.

-30-

For more information, contact Carlo LoParo at [phone].

link: http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/news/index1.htm

[reprehensor]

1. whew

Ok, that's Cali and Ohio, just 48 states to go!

[Another Bill C.]

2. Maybe 47

"Minnesota statutes require that paper ballots be kept after every election. Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer personally contacted Mercuri to discuss security issues, and told voting-machine companies that Minnesota will only consider machines that meet certain requirements, including voter-verifiable paper ballots."

http://www.rakemag.com/angle/detail.asp?catID=40&itemID=9114

[mark0rama]

3. Forty-six! Do I hear 45?

Wisconsin was the first state to ban no-paper-trail voting technologies.

[Big Al from WI]

5. Why can't everyone just use marksense or paper?

It should be in the Constitution. You take a Sharpie and mark your vote.

[newyawker99]

6. Hi Big Al from WI!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[chimpy the poopthrower]

4. There's an LBN thread on this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=691025&mesg_id=691025

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x691025 (view all)

I don't think this news is as great as a lot of people think it is. Some reasons are covered in the LBN thread.