Voter Issues

Kentucky AG Threatens Lawsuit against Voting Machine Makers

Wednesday, August 08, 2007  

Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo today demanded that electronic voting machine manufacturers immediately correct security flaws identified in an independent review by experts in California.

The Attorney General’s letters to Hart InterCivic and Diebold Election Systems, Inc. (click here) require the voting machine makers to immediately upgrade their products or face a lawsuit by Kentucky.

“Security upgrades are needed immediately to ensure voter confidence in the upcoming election,” said Attorney General Stumbo. “Waiting and hoping for the best is not an option when the problems are obvious. Kentucky deserves the same prompt corrective action as California.”

Stumbo’s call for action was publicly criticized by Secretary of State Trey Grayson yesterday.

“I cannot share Mr. Grayson’s do-nothing attitude,” commented Stumbo. “Kentucky is a first class state that deserves the same voter security and protection as the California Secretary of State demanded and received.”

In a letter responding to Secretary of State Grayson yesterday, Stumbo explained the need for immediate attention to voting machine flaws. (Click here.) Among the action items identified by Stumbo were the following:

• The voting machines are barred from use in California until the security flaws are fixed. Kentucky deserves the same protection.
• Optical ballot scanners touted by Secretary Grayson would not fix the defective machines. Security upgrades must be implemented.
• Kentucky erroneously certified the same machines now known to be faulty, requiring an immediate reexamination.

“The solution to this problem is plain to me,” Stumbo concluded. “Voting machine manufacturers must repair what is broken and provide ample support to our hard working County Clerks as they conduct free and fair elections. The voters, the County Clerks, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky deserve no less.”

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