Here we go again with more wrong-doing by a voting machine vendor. This time ES&S (no surprise there) got caught modifying AutoMark voting machines used in many California counties by voters with disabilities. California state election law does not allow any modification to any voting system without notification to the SOS and a determination that the modification does not affect the accuracy and efficiency of that system. It seems that ES&S made a modification to hundreds of AutoMark machines used in counties across the state and they did it with no notification. The state has announced a public hearing for 20 September when specific relief will be discussed. That relief could be $10,000 per incident and/or decertification and/or banishment from the state for one to three years and/or other fines or restitution including refund of all tax payers money spent to purchase those machines. It will be interesting to see how many local election officials suddenly come to ES&S’s defense. And the burning question is whether the modification was federally approved and how many other states have machines modified by ES&S in the dark of the night?
NAtional: Media Finally Question the Relationship Between Elections Officials and Voting Machine Companies
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4984
NAtional: E-Voting Ballots May Not Be So Secret; Paper Trail Takes Away Anonymity
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070820/113332.shtml
NAtional: Dan Rather Report Examines Problems with Touchscreen Voting Machines
http://www.votetrustusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2558&Itemid=26
NAtional: Insider Trading at Diebold?
Mass Sell-Off by Company Officers Occurs Simultaneously Just Days Prior to Stock Price Plunge, Announcement of Jettisoning of Election Division
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4972
NAtional: Reply From AVS To EAC Response to AVS
http://www.eac.gov/docs/Reply%20from%20AVS%20Reply%20to%20EAC%20(%208-17-07%20)%20DOC001%20(2).PDF
NAtional: EAC Notice of Non-Compliance To AVS (follow-up to AVS letter above)
http://www.eac.gov/docs/EAC%20response%20to%20AVS%20email%208.21.07.pdf
CA: Did ES&S Sell Uncertified Voting Equipment To California Counties?
http://www.sos.ca.gov/executive/press_releases/2007/DB07_051.pdf
CA: ES&S Facing Massive Fines, Possible Decertification in CA for Use of Uncertified Modifications to Voting Systems
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4985
CA: ES&S to be Rebuked, Fined and Possibly Banned in CA?
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/08/ess-to-be-rebuk.html
CA: State contends e-voting machines weren't certified
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=government&articleId=9031938&taxonomyId=13&intsrc=kc_top
CA: California Hearing on Auto-Marks
http://elections.caltech.edu/2007/08/california-hearing-on-auto-marks.html
CA: The Vote: California Secretary of State Sets Hearing to Investigate Voting Machine Company
http://www.govtech.com/gt/132046?topic=117688
CA: Celebrate election transparency
http://tracypress.com/content/view/10739/2244/
CA: Company Accused Of Selling Uncertified Voting Machines
http://www.my58.com/politics/13943446/detail.html
CA: NEW: State threatens fines, ban against e-vote vendor
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_6680739
CA: Riverside County - County studies voting options
Leasing machines for next year's votes could save millions
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/08/21/news/californian/4_01_518_20_07.txt
CA: San Bernardino County - Ballots before board
Supervisors to decide whether vote will be on paper
http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_6675923
CA: San Bernardino Co. returns to paper
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_webvote22.19a2afb.html
CA: San Bernardino County - SB County to return to paper ballots
http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_6680232
CA: Solano County - County not sure what to expect as voting-machine tests continue
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_6678588
IN: Voting machine company appeals $360,000 fine
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070821/LOCAL19/708210405
MS: Washington County - Officials: Availability of tapes wouldn't have mattered for Knight
http://www.ddtonline.com/articles/2007/08/21/news/news2.txt
NY: Chautauqua County - Lever machines OK for now
http://www.observertoday.com/articles.asp?articleID=15220
OH: Board: rhymes with bored
http://www.cleveland.com/news/naymik/index.ssf?/base/opinion-0/1187685997149890.xml&coll=2&thispage=1
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