Questions raised over 2003 Indianapolis election

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 16:24:30 -0400
From: degrke () consumer org

More e-voting nightmares--this time from Election Systems & Software.  Those
familiar with e-voting might recognize as the company with ties to Sen.
Chuck Hagel (R-Neb).  It's definitely worth looking at the quote from the
County Clerk, a Republican, who was under fire from some for selecting a
company with such partisan ties.

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Questions raised over 2003 election
http://www.indystar.com/articles/9/139752-2249-092.html

By John Fritze
john.fritze () indystar com
April 20, 2004


Marion County Clerk Doris Anne Sadler announced today that a portion of the
voting system used in last November's election was never certified by the
state of Indiana -- raising questions about last year's election results two
weeks before the May 4 primary.

The uncertified software tallied votes for more than 150,000 voters who
turned out Nov. 4 and, Sadler said, has since been replaced by the company
that sold the machines, Omaha-based Election Systems & Software.

"With complete disregard for business ethics and with intent to deceive,
(the company) worked to keep their actions from the Marion County Election
Board and their employees," Sadler said.

The Marion County Election Board has scheduled an emergency meeting for
Thursday to discuss what action to take. Election officials may try to get
out of their $11.1 million contract with the company or could ask Indiana to
ban their voting systems statewide.

Sadler said local officials caught the problem late last month, when an ES&S
technician came to perform a routine maintenance update. What he was
actually doing, Sadler said, was replacing the bad software with a version
that had been certified two years ago.

An ES&S representative could not be reached for comment.

Sadler said she did not believe the software caused errors in last year's
vote totals -- a sentiment shared by an official at the Election Division of
the Indiana Secretary of State's office. However, Marion County Democratic
party chairman Ed Treacy said he'd like to see a recount in several of last
year's tight races.

One Eastside City-County Council candidate, Democrat Karen Horseman, lost
her election by only three votes.

"Last year we talked about waking up in Florida, now I think we've woken up
in Taiwan," Treacy said, making reference to the controversy that surrounded
the 2000 presidential election. "This is just completely unacceptable."

Kristi Robertson, co-director of the Indiana Election Division, said ES&S
has had similar problems in many counties throughout Indiana. The company
was recently caught selling uncertified touch screen equipment in Johnson,
Vanderburgh, Henry and Wayne counties.

Read tomorrow's Indianapolis Star for more details about this story.

Call Star reporter John Fritze at (317) 444-2752.


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