Diebold to get out of the business of stealing elections?
Diebold Inc. may be getting out of the election-stealing business. They’re starting to realize that their subsidiary, Diebold Election Systems, is giving them a really negative public image. Electronic voting machines are only a minor part of Diebold’s business; they make a lot more money on their ATMs, for instance. But it looks like the reputation for their terribly flawed voting machines is starting to rub off on the rest of the business. Would you buy an ATM for a company with a horrific track record in a similar product?
So Diebold is probably going to sell off its electronic voting subsidiary. I just hope they can’t find a buyer. Diebold’s e-voting products need to die, not simply be repackaged under another name. They’re so insecure that they represent a travesty to the entire electoral process. State after state is pulling the plug on their Diebold machines citing massive problems.
It’s really a pity, too. Electronic voting is the future of voting. It’s the next big thing. But because all of the big players are utterly incompetent (and possibly even working to ensure Republican victories), widespread e-voting with assurances of integrity in the United States is still a long ways off.
