{"article":{"id":93023,"heading":"Uncertified Software in Alameda County Voting Machines - Certification Process Halted","author":"repost","created":"2003-11-05 21:51:06","modified":"2003-11-09 06:31:32","last_modified":"Sun, 09 Nov 2003 13:31:32","article":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>Calif. Halts E-Vote Certification  <br>  <br> By Kim Zetter | Also by this reporter Page 1 of 1  <br>  <br> WIRED NEWS  <br>  <br> 05:49 PM Nov. 03, 2003 PT  <br><br> SACRAMENTO, California -- Uncertified software may have been installed on electronic voting machines used in one California county, according to the secretary of state's office.  <br><br> Marc Carrel, assistant secretary of state for policy and planning, told attendees Thursday at a panel on voting systems that California was halting the certification process for new voting machines manufactured by Diebold Election Systems.  <br><br> The reason, Carrel said, was that his office had recently received \"disconcerting information\" that Diebold may have installed uncertified software on its touch-screen machines used in one county.  <br><br> He did not say which county was involved. However, secretary of state spokesman Douglas Stone later told Wired News that the county in question is Alameda.  <br><br> Alameda County, a Democratic stronghold that includes the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, converted to all-electronic voting last year at a cost of more than $12 million. The county used the machines in state elections last year and in last month's gubernatorial recall election. The machines will also be used in tomorrow's municipal election in Alameda.  <br><br> The only other California county currently using the Diebold touch-screen machines is Plumas. No one was available for comment on whether uncertified software may have been installed on machines used in Plumas.  <br><br> The Diebold machines slated for state certification, known as the AccuVote TSx, are a modified version of the machines used in Alameda and Plumas. The new machine is said to be a lighter, more compact version.  <br><br> At the meeting, Carel delayed indefinitely the certification of the new machines until the secretary of state's office can investigate the matter.  <br><br> Diebold officials, who were attending the meeting, seemed surprised by the announcement and expressed displeasure to several panelists afterward that it had been introduced in a public forum. They were unavailable for comment.  <br><br> Also present at the meeting were representatives from Solano, San Diego and San Joaquin counties, where officials are waiting for state certification to begin using the new machines.  <br><br> Officials from Alameda County's registrar of voters were unavailable for comment.  <br><br> www.blackboxvoting.com\/ <br>  <br> <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"The only other California county currently using the Diebold touch-screen machines is Plumas. ","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2003\/11\/93023.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}