By Kim Zetter
03:53 PM Apr. 30, 2004 PT
California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley ended five months of
speculation and announced Friday that he was decertifying all
electronic touch-screen voting machines in the state due to security
concerns and lack of voter confidence.
He also said that he was passing along evidence to the state's
attorney general to bring criminal and civil charges against
voting-machine-maker Diebold Election Systems for fraud.
"We will not tolerate deceitful tactics as engaged in by Diebold and
we must send a clear and compelling message to the rest of the
industry: Don't try to pull a fast one on the voters of California
because there will be consequences if you do," he said.
Shelley said the ban on touch-screen machines would stay in effect
unless and until specific security measures could be put in place to
safeguard the November vote.
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