Supes sour on voting machine contract

By Warren Lutz

FAIRFIELD What started out as a way to make it easier and quicker for people to vote has turned into a big mess - and could cost Solano County taxpayers $600,000.

Solano County decided a year ago to buy electronic voting machines from Diebold. But recent news that the machines operated during the November election used software not certified by the state embroiled the company in controversy.

"I'm so frustrated with Diebold," District 2 Supervisor John Silva said Tuesday. "I was prepared to say, 'Let's toss this contract and look at other vendors.' "

And time is ticking - the March election is only four months away.

"We're staring at the eleventh hour, all the equipment is in our warehouse, and it's not certified," Silva said.

"I think we're in a pickle," District 5 Supervisor Ruth Forney said. "It's probably worse than what is actually being said."

But the county can't break the contract, County Counsel Dennis Bunting said.

"They're performing," Bunting said of Diebold.

Problems began earlier this month when the Secretary of State's office learned the uncertified software was installed and used in voting machines in several counties, including Alameda County but not including Solano County. Solano County hopes to use the same machines in the March primary.

Two weeks ago, Shelley ordered Diebold to pay for an independent audit of the security and accuracy of its equipment.

Deborah Seiler, a Diebold sales representative, told supervisors Diebold's machines received official certification from the Secretary of State's office last week, but didn't have a copy of the letter with her.

"There is no doubt on the certification of this equipment," Seiler said.

But Secretary of State spokesperson Doug Stone said Tuesday afternoon Diebold's certification was still conditional. The Diebold audit wouldn't be completed until Dec. 16.

Silva and Supervisor Barbara Kondylis also expressed concern Diebold's CEO Walden O'Dell is a major Republican donor and with his recent remarks supporting President Bush.

Seiler said O'Dell has apologized for an August letter in which he promised to deliver votes to President Bush's campaign. Silva and Kondylis didn't go into details but said during board discussions Diebold's political connections concerned them.

Diebold's problems aren't Solano County's only concern with touchscreen voting.

Last week, Secretary of State Kevin Shelley ordered all electronic voting vendors to install printers to issue paper receipts in their machines by 2006.

Adding printers to the county's 1,170 machines will cost the county about $600,000, Registrar of Voters Laura Winslow said. The state won't reimburse the county.

Winslow told supervisors paper receipts were unnecessary, but several supervisors disagreed.

"I'm glad there is a paper trail," District 4 Supervisor John Vasquez said. "It's about building confidence in the voters."

Warren Lutz can be reached at wlutz@dailyrepublic.net.