Touchscreen voting machines OK’d for May primary
By JASON MICHAEL WHITE
Daily Journal staff writer
jwhite@thejournalnet.com

April 7, 2004

Voters will be allowed to use new touchscreen machines in May’s primary now that an election company has resubmitted a $10 million bond to the state.

Nebraska-based Election Systems & Software was scolded in March for allowing four Indiana counties to use new touchscreen voting software that had not been certified in November’s election.

The company was ordered to post a $10 million bond in case anything goes wrong with May’s primary election.

Attorney Dale Simmons with the Indiana Election Commission received a revised bond Tuesday and approved it, along with the state election board chairman. Had the bond not been approved, the touchscreen machines would have been useless in May’s election.

Indiana Election Commission officials Friday sent a letter to Election Systems & Software telling them to revise their bond by today . Officials wanted the bond to cover all possible damages for using uncertified software, such as legal fees if the state or county is sued.

Problems with the $10 million bond were the latest in a string of incidents frustrating county election officials because of the company.

Election Systems & Software in March was criticized by the Indiana Election Commission for distributing voting equipment with preinstalled software not yet certified to current state and federal standards.

Criticism came after the commission had to issue subpoenas to bring company officials to March’s state election meeting.

Last month, Election Systems & Software also terminated its local project manager, Doug Orange, who had overseen the November election and had a solid working knowledge of the county and its needs.

The county hired Orange as an independent consultant.