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Bill French suggests bypassing Diebold, and voting in a time and place, by going absentee (here's the CA form). (Also, here's a link describing the software and papertrail issues).
UPDATE 12pm: I called the Alameda County Registrar's office and confirmed that paper absentee ballots are kept after they are scanned by Diebold machines. The time period for keeping paper in archives is the same as when the old machines were used, and they couldn't tell me the exact number of years, but it is for some *years*.
And just in case you were wondering whether Diebold employees are politically active (remember, employees for government entities are restricted in various ways on this including campaign contributions because it's a conflict of interest), the California database for 2004 election contributions shows this: 26 Contributions (to date) for political candidates and committees.
(Format:
Name
Date and Amount
Home city
Employer
Contribution made to)
BUCCI, DAVID
6/29/2003 $1,000.00
HUDSON, OH 44236
DIEBOLD -[Contribution]
VOINOVICH FOR SENATE COMMITTEE
Bucci, David Mr.
6/26/2003 $2,000.00
Hudson, OH 44236
Diebold Inc./Senior Vice President -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
Crowther, John Michael Mr.
8/27/2003 $2,000.00
Canton, OH 44708
Diebold Inc. -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
D' Amico, Thomas R. Mr.
9/3/2003 $2,000.00
Canton, OH 44718
Diebold Inc. -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
D'AMICO, THOMAS R
6/21/2003 $500.00
CANTON, OH 44718
DIEBOLD INC -[Contribution]
VOINOVICH FOR SENATE COMMITTEE
DETTINGER, WARREN W
6/25/2003 $500.00
CANTON, OH 44708
DIEBOLD INC -[Contribution]
VOINOVICH FOR SENATE COMMITTEE
DIMMITT, WILLIAM R. MR.
4/2/2003 $200.00
SAN ANGELO, TX 76901
DIEBOLD INC./SERVICE TECHNICIAN -[Contribution]
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
Frazzitta, Bart Mr.
6/26/2003 $1,000.00
Akron, OH 44333
Diebold Inc./Vice President -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
Frazzitta, Bart Mr.
9/29/2003 $1,000.00
Akron, OH 44333
Diebold Inc. -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
Geswein, Gregory T. Mr.
6/26/2003 $2,000.00
Bentleyville, OH 44022
Diebold Inc./Chief Financial Office -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
Hillock, Jennifer L Mrs.
8/27/2003 $2,000.00
Massillon, OH 44646
Diebold Inc. -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
Hillock, Michael James Mr.
6/26/2003 $2,000.00
Massillon, OH 44646
Diebold International Inc./Presiden -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
Ingram, Larry Dean Mr.
9/15/2003 $1,000.00
Massillon, OH 44646
Diebold Inc. -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
Ingram, Larry Dean Mr.
6/26/2003 $1,000.00
Massillon, OH 44646
Diebold Inc./Vice President Of Glob -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
Mahoney, Robert
11/30/2003 $250.00
Canton, OH 44718
Diebold/Chairman Emeritus -[Contribution]
CARE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (CARE PAC)
O' Dell, Walden W. Mr.
8/8/2003 -$2,000.00
Canton, OH 44708
Diebold Inc. -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
O' Dell, Walden W. Mr.
6/12/2003 $4,000.00
Canton, OH 44708
Diebold Inc./Chairman -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
O'DELL, WALDEN W
6/25/2003 $500.00
NORTH CANTON, OH 44720
DIEBOLD INC -[Contribution]
VOINOVICH FOR SENATE COMMITTEE
O'DELL, WALDEN W
6/25/2003 $1,500.00
NORTH CANTON, OH 44720
DIEBOLD INC -[Contribution]
VOINOVICH FOR SENATE COMMITTEE
Scheurer, Charles B. Mr.
8/27/2003 $2,000.00
Canton, OH 44708
Diebold Inc. -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
Swidarski, Thomas W Mr.
7/9/2003 $2,000.00
Hudson, OH 44236
Diebold Inc. -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
Van Cleve, Jeffrey J. Mr.
6/26/2003 $500.00
North Canton, OH 44720
Diebold Credit Corporation/Vice Pre -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
Van Cleve, Jeffrey J. Mr.
9/3/2003 $1,000.00
North Canton, OH 44720
Diebold Credit Corporation -[Contribution]
BUSH-CHENEY '04 INC
Van Cleve, Jeffrey J. Mr.
10/10/2003 $225.00
North Canton, OH 44720
DIEBOLD CREDIT CORPORATION/VP & Gen -[Contribution]
EQUIPMENT LEASING ASSOCIATION LEASEPAC COMMITTEE
Van Cleve, Jeffrey J. Mr.
4/11/2003 $250.00
North Canton, OH 44720
DIEBOLD CREDIT CORPORATION/VP & Gen -[Contribution]
EQUIPMENT LEASING ASSOCIATION LEASEPAC COMMITTEE
WARF, ALBEN W
6/29/2003 $1,000.00
MASSILLON, OH 44646
DIEBOLD -[Contribution]
VOINOVICH FOR SENATE COMMITTEE
...but doesn't Diebold machinery count the mail-in ballots too?
Sean
Posted by: Sean Savag on January 22, 2004 10:45 AMThe key issue is that with absentee, there IS a papertrail, because the ballots are still done through the mail. It's a way of supporting paper now, instead of waiting until 2006.
Posted by: mary hodder on January 22, 2004 11:08 AMSure enough, but absentee voting does not bypass Diebold.
Posted by: Sean on January 22, 2004 01:40 PMSean, the key issue is a paper trail. While the quality of Diebold software is at issue, the only reason they can get away with crappy software is that there's no easy way to tell when they fuck up. The more paper ballots we generate the more they have to worry about a contradictory paper record, which will hopefully pressure them into just making better software in the first place. Sure, the software may still be bad, but if/when that becomes apparent at least you *know* your vote can be recounted.
Posted by: pt on January 24, 2004 12:45 PMRight; assume the key issue is the availability of a paper trail. I'm not arguing that issue. A paper trail is certainly a tremendous advantage that comes with absentee voting, and this is an important and newsworthy point.
This is my concern: absentee ballots don't allow voters to bypass or avoid Diebold equipment. Period. Yet a small cascade of recent postings on various web logs state the opposite, point-blank.
That's an important distinction, for several reasons. Here's one: a substantial minority of concerned viewers might read such an entry (or its headline), arrange to vote by mail, and prematurely cease to be concerned. They might tune out from further Diebold news, assuming that such information doesn't pertain to them anymore.
In any case, thanks for checking up on this and clarifying the facts with the "UPDATE 12pm" graf. Please don't interpret my comments as an attack on bIPlog; my intention was to help, not attack. Sites like this are beginning to fill the hole in American society that formed when our newspapers were ripped away and turned into house organs for a few megacorporations. It's hard to squeeze much hope out of the state of things nowadays but I can see hope in web log journalism. Keep it up...
Posted by: Sean on January 25, 2004 03:16 AMYa ever enter the dean of the J-school into OpenSecrets.org? It's kinda interesting, though not really surprising.
Posted by: John G on January 26, 2004 11:38 PMSean: you are correct in what you say, and I appreciate the clarification.
John G: I went to OpenSecrets.org and looked up the Dean and he has four contributions. The key here is that government employees cannot donate to campaigns because it would be a conflict of interest, and yet Diebold, as a provider of the same service that the Registrar's office used to provide all on their own, can make contributions. That's a very clear conflict of interest to me. Voting service contractors should be held to the same standard as government employees.
Regarding the Dean, well, I don't see what the problem is, as his participating in the political process is not a conflict of interest to his work as Dean of the JSchool, and is his business. And if Diebold didn't supply voting software, I would say it was great that they were participating in the political process as well. It's the conflict of interest that's a problem, not involvement in the political process.
Posted by: mary hodder on January 27, 2004 08:54 AM