Article: 'Daily Voting News' For August 21, 2007

Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org 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 LINK

NAtional: E-Voting Ballots May Not Be So Secret; Paper Trail Takes Away Anonymity LINK

NAtional: Dan Rather Report Examines Problems with Touchscreen Voting Machines LINK

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 LINK

NAtional: Reply From AVS To EAC Response to AVS LINK

NAtional: EAC Notice of Non-Compliance To AVS (follow-up to AVS letter above) LINK

CA: Did ES&S Sell Uncertified Voting Equipment To California Counties? LINK

CA: ES&S Facing Massive Fines, Possible Decertification in CA for Use of Uncertified Modifications to Voting Systems LINK

CA: ES&S to be Rebuked, Fined and Possibly Banned in CA? LINK

CA: State contends e-voting machines weren't certified LINK

CA: California Hearing on Auto-Marks LINK

CA: The Vote: California Secretary of State Sets Hearing to Investigate Voting Machine Company LINK

CA: Celebrate election transparency LINK

CA: Company Accused Of Selling Uncertified Voting Machines LINK

CA: NEW: State threatens fines, ban against e-vote vendor LINK

CA: Riverside County - County studies voting options Leasing machines for next year's votes could save millions LINK

CA: San Bernardino County - Ballots before board Supervisors to decide whether vote will be on paper LINK

CA: San Bernardino Co. returns to paper LINK

CA: San Bernardino County - SB County to return to paper ballots LINK

CA: Solano County - County not sure what to expect as voting-machine tests continue LINK

IN: Voting machine company appeals $360,000 fine LINK

MS: Washington County - Officials: Availability of tapes wouldn't have mattered for Knight LINK

NY: Chautauqua County - Lever machines OK for now LINK

OH: Board: rhymes with bored LINK

**"Daily Voting News" is meant as a comprehensive listing of reports each day concerning issues related to election and voting news around the country regardless of quality or political slant. Therefore, items listed in "Daily Voting News" may not reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or OpEdNews.Com**