(FL Attorney General) Crist asked to investigate voting-machine companies [View All]

Crist asked to investigate voting-machine companies

By Jeff Burlew
March 23, 2006


The Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition is asking Attorney General Charlie Crist to investigate the three voting-equipment companies certified to do business in Florida.

All of the companies, Diebold Election Systems, Election Systems and Software and Sequoia Voting Systems, have refused to sell equipment to Leon County Elections Supervisor Ion Sancho, who is trying to buy machines that can be used by people with disabilities. The federal Help America Vote Act requires the machines in all voting locations.

Sandy Wayland, president of the coalition, said she believes it's no accident that none of the companies is selling to Sancho, who last year tested Diebold equipment and found it had security flaws.

"Why is it that all of them decided to say no?" Wayland asked. "We suspect that there is collusion and that there is an antitrust violation here."

Crist's office acknowledged Wednesday that it had received the complaint.

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060323/NEWS01/603230323/1010/NEWS01