Company fined for election violations.
IndyStar.com. July 27, 2007. By Mary Beth Schneider

An Indianapolis-based voting system company has been ordered to pay more than $350,000 to Indiana in civil penalties and investigative costs for 198 violations of Indiana election law.

MicroVote General Corp., came under investigation in April 2006 following allegations that the company sold uncertified voting equipment. The company provides voting equipment in the last election to 47 counties in Indiana, including Hamilton, Hendricks, Morgan and Shelby counties.

Administrative Law Judge J. Lee McNeely, who heard the case and ordered the fine indicated in his order that the companies that supply voting equipment must comply with state laws to preserve the integrity of the electoral process and voters' faith in that process.

According to the findings, outlined in a news release by the Indiana secretary of state's office, MicroVote marketed uncertified voting equipment between Oct. 1, 2005, and April 28, 2006, negotiating more than $400,000 worth of new sales contracts in 10 counties.

In addition, the company had discovered its equipment could not handle split-precinct and straight-ticket voting, functions required under Indiana law. As early as April 22, 2006, MicroVote knew one of their systems was not operational, the release states, but concealed that from the Indiana Election Commission until later that summer.

As a result, 47 counties used voting equipment in the May 2006 primary election that did not meet Indiana's legal standards.