Firm (Diebold) sues Mass. over contract for voting machines for disabled

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Firm sues Mass. over contract for voting machines for disabled
By Associated Press
Sunday, March 25, 2007 - Updated: 02:50 PM EST

BOSTON - One of the nation’s top manufacturers of voting
machines is taking the state to court Monday to try to
block distribution of machines for the disabled in
Massachusetts, saying it was unfairly denied the lucrative
contract.

An attorney for Diebold Election Systems Inc. said the
company should have been awarded the $9 million contract
if Secretary of State William Galvin followed his own criteria
when deciding which firm the state should contract
with for the new machines.

-snip-

Under the 2002 federal Help America Vote Act, the state
is required to have voting machines for the physically
impaired. Galvin said the goal is to have a machine in
each of the state’s 1,700 polling locations.

Galvin said part of the problem was finding machines that
could work for voters with a wide range of disabilities.
The goal is to have a machine that disabled voters can
use without the help of poll workers or others _ in part
to protect the secrecy of their ballots.

Galvin chose AutoMARK voting machines, in part because
he said the machines produce the same kind of ballot card
as other voting machines, so the ballots could be counted
together. He said the Diebold machines produced a paper
trail that could compromise the secrecy of ballots cast.

-snip-

Read more: http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=190763

[Throwing Stones]

1. I'm an attorney in Mass ...

Where do I sign up to help beat this bullshit suit? Can we get treble damages in a counterclaim?

[pinkpops]

2. Sounds like AutoMark produces a verifyable ballot card,

[IndyOp]

3. Yes - exactly - the Automark produces a voter-verifiable paper ballot

Purchasing Automarks for people with visual/motor disabilities means that the whole state can switch to optical scan ballots -- which most voters will mark by hand - cheaper, secured by audits, all around a HUGE improvement.

:D

[Melissa G]

4. Voter Verified Paper Ballots that can be counted beat Toilet paper

rolls from Diebold any day!

[Wilms]

5. ”We certainly don’t feel like we have an obligation to help (Diebold) market their equipment.”

Great line.

:D

[sellitman]

6. What a great sales approach!

Sue the bastards if you don't make the sale. I have got to try that one ASAP.

:sarcasm:

[w4rma]

7. Sue them back for a product that doesn't work as advertised. Diebold makes junk for landfills. (nt)

[glitch]

8. Expose their crap in court for all the world to see. On the record.

Amazing that Diebold is willing to take that risk. Get them MA!