Diebold, E.S. & S., Sequoia.....an obvious question??

[ClusterFreak]

Here's a question - no doubt over-simplistic - which I think has been floating around in my subconscious for a very long time, but only now floated to the fore:

How is it that companies making electronic voting machines/software, which have well-documented right-wing affiliations, are allowed to count votes at any level of American democracy? How does this happen?? By the same token, if such companies are hard-core left-leaning they should not be allowed to count votes. Are there election law loopholes at play here, allowing companies like Diebold to sneak in under the radar?? How does this work? I am totally stumped. Can anyone explain?

[Kelvin Mace]

1. Because there is no law AGAINST it.

[ClusterFreak]

4. How in the hell can there be no law????

Has any Dem in congress ever tried to table legislation? Has anyone, period, ever tried? Forgive my naivete on this....but this blows my mind.

[Kelvin Mace]

6. When you talk to a lot of politicians

and lord knows I have, they look at you like you have just arrived from Mars when you start talking about the possibility that a voting machine company would allow politicl allegiance to tempt them.

[Postman]

2. "privatizing" the vote = elimination of democracy

n/t

[Vincardog]

3. It was their plan and they had he money. We did not do it because we

grew up in America and believe the rule of law applies to everyone. They grew up in the land of Oz and believes they make the laws for you to follow not them. We have to demand that aWoL return to our reality based universe before he hits the button and launches us all into his demented 'Faith based reality'.

[autorank]

5. Great point--its the wild west. See below -- support ERD in GD

Please kick and recommend this thread. Thnx.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4401317

[FogerRox]

7. HAVA was passed in 2002 after the chimp got into the white

house-- since then the rush to use the 3.8 billion dollars of federal money for jurisdictions to buy new voting machines is what is driving this --

And of course before hand just make sure you buy up all the DRE vendors-- than write laws that favor the purchase of DREs.

Diebold bought Global election systems in IIRC 2000--

Makes sense?

[Dynasty_At_Passes]

8. The same reason neocons can get away with illegal wars for oil.....

Answer: Nobody pays attention, until, well, it smacks them upside the head and they are forced to pay attention.

[Amaryllis]

9. Check this out; it answers your questions very well:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=388978

[Fly by night]

10. It isn't legal. In fact, it is unconstitutional in Tennessee.

That will be our argument in this case, to be filed this week. See this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=389629&mesg_id=389629