McKinney urges inquiry into electronic voting

By COREY DADE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/19/05

Fourth-District Rep. Cynthia McKinney on Monday called for an investigation of the state's electronic voting machines, pointing to numerous problems with equipment failure, defects and software problems in the 2002 elections.

The DeKalb County Democrat criticized the state for investing in a $54 million touch-screen computer format from Diebold Elections Systems and then forgoing adequate testing before the general election three years ago. McKinney suggested the failure raised doubts about the accuracy of the election results then and the outcome of the 2004 decisions ? when McKinney herself won back her seat after a two-year absence.
"The facts we present pose real issues for all other states that followed Georgia's lead and adopted the Diebold standard for themselves," McKinney told reporters at her district office at North DeKalb Mall. "Our aim is an election environment in which voters have confidence in the result."

In 2002, Georgia became the first state to adopt standardized e-voting machines for all jurisdictions after the 2000 presidential election recount in Florida.

Most of the complaints about Diebold and other voting machine manufacturers have focused on proprietary software that critics say is vulnerable to hackers or rigging.

A spokesman for Diebold did not return calls seeking comment.

Chris Riggall, press secretary for Secretary of State Cathy Cox, said the Diebold machines underwent "the country's most rigorous testing of voting equipment ever."