GordonUnleashed

Diebold Rebranding Their Elections Systems Division

October 10th, 2007 by Steve

” Diebold” defined at the Urban Dictionary:

1. A company that is involved in the manufacture of banking equipment - such as ATMs.

2. A company that makes voting machines that are highly vulnerable to hacking as well as voter fraud. A company that insists on making voting machines that don’t leave a paper trail.

From a recent press release:

ALLEN, TX: Diebold has rebranded its controversial Diebold Election Systems as Premier Election Solutions (PES), after failing to initially sell the subsidiary.

PES, which manufacturers voting and election-related products and services, will operate as a wholly owned, but separate brand of Diebold, a provider of self-service (i.e. ATMs) and security systems and services.

PES’ messaging will focus on new technologies, like touch-screen terminals, and how they improve upon the old-fashioned paper methods that have been used in elections for decades. Particular attention will also be paid to products and services, like optical scan terminals, that allow voters with disabilities to cast their ballots unaided. Outreach will be conducted with customers through such tactics as direct mail.

Last week, the company contacted existing customers via e-mail and telephone to discuss the changes. According to Christopher Riggall, communications manager for PES, the response has been positive.

In addition, Edelman will continue to assist PES with rebranding work and to counter criticism.

There have been questions about the ability to use voter technology to commit fraud and affect election outcomes. State and federal government bodies are now reviewing election technologies, and some Premier purchases scheduled for 2007 have been delayed until next year.

As far as I’m concerned, any voting system which doesn’t have some sort of verifiable paper trail should be considered a piece of electoral excrement.

Rename it all you want. If it looks like feces and smells like feces, I certainly don’t plan to step in it.

Posted in Election Reform, National Politics

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