California bans e-voting in four counties, calls for criminal investigation
http://www.harktheherald.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=20304&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
Jim Wasserman THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Saturday, May 01, 2004 - 12:00 AM SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The state's top elections official called for a criminal investigation of Diebold Election Systems Inc. as he banned use of the company's newest model touchscreen voting machine, citing concerns about its security and reliability.
Friday's ban will force up to 2 million voters in four counties, including San Diego, to use paper ballots in November, marking their choices in ovals read by optical scanners.
Secretary of State Kevin Shelley asked the attorney general's office to investigate allegations of fraud, saying Diebold had lied to state officials. A spokesman for Attorney General Bill Lockyer said prosecutors would review Shelley's claims.
Diebold issued a statement saying it was confident in its systems and planned to work with election officials in California and throughout the nation to run a smooth election this fall.
The ban immediately affects more than 14,000 AccuVote-TSx machines made by Diebold, the leading touchscreen provider. Many were used for the first time in the March primaries and suffered failures.
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Touch-screen voting nixed here
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20040501-9999-1n1evote.html
No touch-screen voting for county
By Bill Ainsworth -- UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 1, 2004 ---snip---
Key points in ruling
Highlights of Secretary of State Kevin Shelley's ruling on touch-screen voting machines:
-- Idles more than 14,000 Diebold AccuVote TSx machines in San Diego, Solano, Kern and San Joaquin counties for the Nov. 2 election. Those counties must use other voting systems.
-- Prevents 44 counties that don't have touch-screen machines from buying new ones for the November election unless they produce a paper copy for voters to verify their ballot choices.
-- Decertifies about 28,000 touch-screen machines in Alameda, Merced, Napa, Orange, Plumas, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Shasta and Tehama counties.
-- Establishes rules to recertify those machines for the November election, including giving voters the option of voting on a paper ballot.
Source: California secretary of state