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Maryland Scraps Diebold Voting System

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the long-overdue dept.

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."

2 of 209 comments (clear)

  1. Diebold = Premier Election Solutions. by Jackie_Chan_Fan · · Score: 5, Informative

    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.

  2. Heck, Shoup is still in the game today! by Fantastic+Lad · · Score: 5, Informative
    Except Shoup is now calling itself, "Advanced Voting Solutions" (AVS). You've probably heard of them. --The most astonishing part is that Diebold's, Howard Van Pelt and Larry Ensminger left Diebold and were hired by AVS in late 2004. --And not just a small hire either. Van Pelt and Ensminger are now AVS's President and Vice President!

    Here's a little of Shoup's history.

    It's a big, hairball of a mess and none of the right people are in jail.


    -FL