Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org

Ohio Co., West Virginia, and Belmont Co., Ohio, both use ES&S iVotronic voting machines. Belmont Co. was recently presented with a contract from ES&S for programming, licensing, and maintenance. That contract was for $50,000 annually. The county turned down the contract. Ohio Co. will have to begin paying for their programming beginning in 2008 (the state has been paying the costs so far). West Virginia has a contract with a private contractor who will be doing the work that ES&S would do but the cost is $107 per precinct. For Ohio Co. the cost will be a little over $4,000 annually. It is time that our election officials realize that their friends, the vendors, are only out to make as much money as possible before they are found out. They gouge the taxpayers for their unreliable, insecure voting machines and then continue to gouge them for service contracts. The vendors have gotten fat off of the post-HAVA buying frenzy; now they have to keep feeding themselves by selling over-priced service contracts. And the vendors are only friends as long as everything is going along fine. When there is a problem they refuse to accept responsibility and nearly always blame the county, poll workers, or voters.

That story, and today's other notable voting news, linked below as usual...

• NAtional: Costs for Elections Differ in Ohio, W.Va.
  http://www.news-register...nt.detail/id/500686.html
• NAtional: A Call For Change
  http://www.upenn.edu/res...rticle.php?1310&soc
• NAtional: Paperless Voting is an Accident Waiting to Happen
  http://www.votetrustusa....8;id=2602&Itemid=26
• CA: Alameda County "“ Opinion - Election bumbling
  http://www.contracostati...s.com/opinion/ci_7092732
• CA: San Mateo County - County's e-voting machines pass test
  http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_7091730
• CT: Volunteer testifies as primary fight goes on
  http://www.connpost.com/ci_7100138
• FL: Sarasota County - Florida Voting Machines Under Scrutiny Again
  http://www.pcworld.com/a...legalissues/article.html
• FL: Sarasota County "“ Opinion - A longer look at touch-screens
  GAO investigation could clear up doubts about voting technology
  http://www.heraldtribune...6/OPINION/710060602/1030
• IN: Marion County - Absentee Ballot Requests Up
  http://www.wishtv.com/Gl...?S=7175287&nav=0Ra7
• KY: Grayson: Time to change some voting rules
  http://news.kypost.com/a...06/NEWS02/710060324/1014
• MT: Opinion - Voting machines must be tested before and after state elections
  http://www.billingsgazet.../guest/30-votingmach.txt
• NC: Cary "“ Editorial - The count in Cary
  A plan designed to eliminate the need for costly, poor-turnout runoff elections is set to be tried in Cary on Tuesday
  http://www.newsobserver....orials/story/727842.html
• NY: Opinion - N.Y.'s voting fights
  http://www.timesunion.co...&newsdate=10/5/2007
• PA: Lackawanna County - County still trying to reassure voters
  http://www.thetimes-trib...ept_id=415898&rfi=6
• PA: Northampton County - County ready to rule out voting machines
  http://www.nj.com/news/e...41165640.xml&coll=2
• VA: Registrars say system has glitches
  As next month's election looms, many say the statewide voter database is a major headache.
  http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/134624

**"Daily Voting News" is meant as a comprehensive listing of reports each day concerning issues related to election and voting news around the country regardless of quality or political slant. Therefore, items listed in "Daily Voting News" may not reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or BradBlog.Com**

                 

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