[HT to BradBlog]
MD Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R) wrote a four-page letter yesterday to the MD State Election Board wherein he stated, "I no longer have confidence in the State Board of Elections' ability to conduct fair and accurate elections in 2006."
Maryland was one of the first states to switch over to Diebold voting machines back in 2003. A little under three years, $90 million and error after error later, Diebold seems to have worn out their welcome.
More inside.
From Ehrlich's letter:
As you are aware, there has been widespread national concern about the reliability and security of electronic voting systems. Many states have decertified Diebold voting machines, including those similar to the ones used in Maryland, because certain components were never subjected to federal testing. In light of these recent national decertifications and the Maryland General Assembly's decision to override my vetoes of bills implementing early voting and allowing voters to cast ballots anywhere in the state, I no longer have confidence in the State Board of Elections' ability to conduct fair and accurate elections in 2006.
California, Pennsylvania, and dozens of local jurisdictions recently have decertified or denied certification to the Diebold voting machines pending further testing by federal authorities, citing, among other concerns, the potential for manipulation of election results due to the susceptibility to tampering of the vote-counting memory cards. In response, the Independent Testing Authority (ITA) has been reviewing Diebold voting systems and their electronic components for almost two months and has not released any findings. The State Administrator issued a letter to Diebold requesting daily status reports on the testing, but to my knowledge, no information has been shared with the State Board of Elections members, the Administration or the General Assembly about the implications for Maryland with regard to this testing.
It is imperative that I receive accurate information on the potential consequences that these test results may have on Maryland's ability to conduct fair and accurate elections this year. In discussions with my staff, you have stated that members of the State Board of Elections have not received regular updates on the testing controversy. I believe that it is time for the Board to get aggressive in responding to citizens' concerns over public confidence in the elections system.
Later, in talking about the larger-than-expected costs of the Diebold machines and their upkeep, Ehrlich said:
The cost of Maryland's Diebold voting machines has skyrocketed as our confidence in the system has plummeted.
Ehrlich also included 15 questions regarding the state's election systems and asked for a report by no later than the end of the month.
Ehrlich didn't stop there, though. He went on to blast the State Elections Board for their incompetence in the matter.
Despite Ehlrich's statement and call for a verifiable paper trail, baring a miracle it won't happen until after the 2006 elections. A bill mandating paper trails has been slowed down in committee, though is starting to make its way into becoming law. Regardless, a Diebold representative told the House of Delegates subcommittee that it would "not be feasible" to add paper trails before this fall's elections. Apparently, a little under nine months in turn-around time is too short for the Ohio-based company.
Ehrlich's statement comes on the heels of increasing state-wide questioning of Diebold's voting machines and an article by Avi Rubin of John Hopkins University in yesterday's Baltimore Sun.
Rubin said of Diebold's DRE system:
Maryland has adopted a technology for voting that makes it impossible to audit the results of elections, makes it impossible to perform recounts when races are close or controversial and makes it possible for manufacturers to rig the results without risk of detection.
No voting system is less transparent than a direct recording electronic (DRE) system.
Diebold responded to Ehrlich's concerns saying that their machines are "very accurate" and that many of the concerns are just the result of "false information."
The MD Elections Administrator Linda Lamone said that any change to the current system would result in a "catastrophe." In an earlier subcommittee hearing, Lamone testified that paper trails would be a "waste of money."
Ehrlich told reporters yesterday that "the state of Maryland is not prepared to conduct an election, let alone early voting."
It sounds as though the state of Maryland already has a catastrophe on its hands.
At the very least, there's controversy.
State Sen. Barbara Hollinger was skeptical of Ehrlich's intentions:
"He tied the hands of the Board of Elections and the administrator by not funding this [in the budget], and then all of a sudden saying he supports this. It's just the same political games that he's been playing. If there's no money in the budget, then it's empty words."
Erlich's statement comes two weeks after state lawmakers were told by experts that paper trails for this fall's elections would be impossible.
Ultimately, it'll be up to Ehrlich to prove critics wrong and effect substantial voting reform before this fall's election.