Maryland Scraps Diebold Voting System

beadfulthings writes "After eight years and some $65 million, the state of Maryland is taking its first steps to return to an accountable, paper-ballot based voting system. Governor Martin O'Malley has announced an initial outlay of $6.5 million towards the $20 million cost of an optical system which will scan and tally the votes while the paper ballots are retained as a backup. The new (or old) system is expected to be in place by 2010 — or four years before the state finishes paying off the bill for the touch-screen system."

Comments

But what I want to know -

[Recovering Hater]

-is where the "Suddenoutbreakofcommonsense" tag is?

Re:But what I want to know -

[jrothwell97]

Just 'cause I'm feeling nice, I have tagged it as 'suddenoutbreakofcommonsensejustforyourecoveringhater'. Happy now...?

Re:But what I want to know -

[Deag]

In a completely unrelated matter, how do I turn off those damn tags?

Re:Diebold = Premier Election Solutions.

[jrothwell97]

I'm sure many of us are aware... but let us not forget who Premier Election Solutions, really are. They are Diebold.

Changing the name was a sneaky move. Strange that while they offer flawed election 'solutions', they also make ATMs and cash deposit machines. HSBC banks here in the Free World use Diebold-badged machines, into which shopkeepers deposit their money every Friday. I dread to think what that may implicate if the ATMs are running similar software.

Good

[Anonymous Coward]

After the news of two AI researchers committing 'suicide,' we know that they have drawn first blood, and I want machines as far away from politics as possible.

Re:Where can Diebold hide now?

[mOdQuArK!]

That's why they changed their name. Now that they have a new name, nobody is going to associate them with the "old" Diebold.

Re:What about the old machines?

[nomadic]

Before touchscreen voting, our area in Maryland had an optical paper system, which resembled some sort of Star Wars fan video version of R2D2. Why didn't they hold onto these machines, just in case the touchscreen voting devices didn't work out?

I think they tried, but the Jawas stole them.

Re:Optical scan ballots

[Kingrames]

"It's not exactly rocket science."

No, but if you could do it with rockets, that would be awesome.

Re:Diebold = Premier Election Solutions.

[mrchaotica]

Yes, I am sorry to interrupt your Bush-bashing "discourse" with the facts.

My "Bush-bashing discourse?" Check again, dipshit -- I'm not the same guy you were blabbering to. You're just making such an ass of yourself that even otherwise-disinterested third parties like myself feel the need to point out how much of a fuck-up you are!

That's the problem with giving people like you a voice...

"Like me?" You don't know anything about me, Mr. I'm-Too-Stupid-To-Check-The-Name-Of-The-Guy-I'm-Replying-To, except for the fact that I think you're a flaming douchebag!

Now, seriously. Are you even even aware that you completely ignored every piece of meaningful content of PopeRatzo's post, and instead flew off the handle over a random meaningless remark? You're acting like you're a spoiled four-year-old who was insulted personally, and that's just stupid. Grow a thicker skin, and stop deluding yourself that you're G. W. Bush! Unless you are Bush, in which case your whining represents whole new orders of magnitude of patheticness...