Diebold official answers questions about voting machines
Daytona Beach News Journal Online, November 12, 2007

Election officials in Volusia County say memory card failures on the AccuVote optical scan machines have been an issue in elections here for years. Though the machine's manufacturer said Volusia County's memory card failure rate was unusual, a Daytona Beach News-Journal analysis showed several counties in Florida have failure rates comparable to or higher than Volusia. Diebold Inc.'s Premier Election Solutions officials told the News-Journal last week that the higher failure rate stems from a problem with the J40 connector, the part on the machine that connects to the memory card. Memory cards are used to electronically hold votes.

During the course of reporting the issue, Christopher D. Riggall, the communications manger for Diebold Inc.'s Premier Election Solutions, answered several questions by e-mail. Here are some of his responses to News-Journal questions.

Why, if it is a problem with the machines' connectors, does it work to replace the card on election day? Wouldn't the same problem happen even with a new card?

I asked the engineer who, with others has delved into analyzing the problem with the card and connector to respond to your (and VolusiaCounty's) very good question about how and why a new card would work even if the pin in the connector remains unrepaired. Here's what he gave me on that topic:

The J40 connector pins exert force upon the Memory card contacts because each pin in J40 is actually a small spring. The pin is formed from a thin, flat strip which has been folded back upon itself 180 degrees. The lower part of the pin is somewhat rounded while the top part is flat. It is 'D' shaped but the 'D' is rotated 90 degrees. If the rounded part of the 'D' is flattened then less pressure is applied to the memory card contact and this is what can potentially cause the AVOS firmware to think it needs to reformat the card, it isn't able to 'talk' to the memory card. When a new or even the same memory card is reinserted into J40 the pin that had the connection problem may start to operate correctly again , this is because the pressure applied to the memory contact by the spring/pin is in a region where it can be intermittent, not guaranteed.

So, based on our analysis, the fact that inserting a new card seems to 'cure' the problem, at least for a time, is sort of an extension of our loose light bulb analogy --inserting a new card, or even at times reinserting the old card, can restore the connection even though the underlying problem damage to a pin on the J40 has not been corrected. Again, as we discussed, this damage may not at all be readily visible to the naked eye.

How much will it cost your company to replace connectors on each machine?

We aren't able yet to estimate the costs associated with repairs. As you know, this will be warranty work for our Florida customers (who all have warranty policies).

How many optical scan units are in use nationwide?

We have approximately 25,000 OS units deployed nationwide. As you probably are aware, in some jurisdictions in other states OS is used for absentee voting only, (with TS used for in precinct voting), in others for early voting and absentee (with TS used in precinct) and in others as the technology for all voting in precinct, early (if the jurisdiction has it) and absentee.

Will Diebold Inc.'s election division release the results of the survey conducted by your company that shows the memory card failure rates on Florida machines?

On the question about release of internal data or studies, I have posed that request again and we simply do not release internal documents in this manner.

Is the error message election officials get when a failure occurs on a machine 'check sum'?

From my engineer, any one of several error messages can appear when you have a failed card. The checksum message is one of those.

How is a camera used to detect the damage on the optical scan machines?

The camera is useful to be able to reach in and see, with magnification, the exact condition of the connector. It allows you to perform an inspection without performing a more complete disassembly of the unit. In essence, it expedites the inspection of the connector by allowing you to see what the naked eye could not readily see.

How are the J40 connectors damaged?

There are many potential ways a J40 can be damaged, including improper insertion or removal of a memory card, a foreign object (like tape or a label) on a memory card, improper cleaning of the connector using tools that bend the pins, etc. We would not consider J40s that exhibit damage as defective, but rather affected by the wear and tear of use.As you know, some units have been in the field for quite a long time.

So, it's not a poorly made J40 connector, it's wear and tear?

The connector is a component that, over the life span of the unit, can be subject to a lot of wear and tear. The fact that over time a relatively small percentage of these can fail does not imply it is poorly manufactured. But I would say that as a result of our testing we have an increased awareness of the possibility it can be damaged, and that is what we are looking to address.

With 25,000 units across the U.S., how long will it take to get them all inspected?

We will address any card failure issues with our customers in other states on a case by case basis. There are many jurisdictions across the country where card failures have simply not been identified as a concern by our customers. Where they are, we will certainly address the issue with them with appropriate inspections, repair, etc.

Did you use a different connector with the OSX, your company's new optical scan?

The connectors, and the cards, in the OSX are entirely different. The engineering and the architecture of these units is brand new, from stem to stern.

When will the OSX be certified in Florida?

We have already submitted our application for certification by the state of Florida of the OSX. We expect testing to begin in the next few weeks. I wouldn't want to project an end date to the certification process, since of course the state controls that process and will take the time they need to complete their work.