Only months after Ohio’s tumultuous experience during the 2004 presidential election, the debate over the merits of updated voting machine technology has created more ripples of discontent across the state. In accordance with the federal Help America Vote Act, county officials throughout Ohio are being pressured to implement changes that will make hanging chads and punch cards obsolete. In some circles, however, the proposed solution poses more concerns than the initial problem. Encouraged by Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, officials have offered the contract for administering voting machine improvements to Diebold Election Systems, despite a catalogue of security concerns with regard to the company’s touch-screen technology. In a recent security test overseen by Black Box Voting in Leon County, Florida, computer expert Harri Hursti was able to identify and demonstrate numerous deficiencies in the Diebold system, including possible attacks on the machines’ “poll tape” result printouts and the relatively simple methods that could be employed to tamper with the system’s message screens. Security flaws comprise only the most recent issue on the laundry list of concerns regarding the Diebold campaign for state contracts. In August of 2003, just as Blackwell was to announce the final three companies that would compete for the Ohio contract, Diebold chief executive Walden O’Dell told the state’s Republicans of his commitment “to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year.” Fears about potential impartiality and tampering have so far failed to deter Blackwell or county officials throughout the state.

-Nathan Titman, Clamor Intern

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