http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/8273865.htm
March
25, 2004
Group that called
electronic vote secure got makers' aid
By
Linda K. Harris, Philadelphia Inquirer
The
Election Center, which trains election workers and advises Congress and
government agencies on election process issues, has taken donations from
manufacturers of electronic voting machines even as it has issued strong
statements supporting the security of the machines.
The
Houston-based nonprofit organization bills itself as a nonpartisan group
representing election officials from throughout the country.
Its
executive director, R. Doug Lewis, confirmed this week that the center had
taken donations from makers of electronic voting machines - Sequoia Voting Systems
Inc. of Oakland, Calif., and Electronic Systems & Software Inc. of Omaha,
Neb. In addition, donations came from "probably Diebold"
Inc. of North Canton, Ohio, Lewis said.
The
Sequoia donations came to light on the organization's latest 990 IRS filing, a
copy of which was reviewed by The Inquirer. It inadvertently revealed donations
of $10,000 per year from 1997 through 2000. The IRS usually removes such names
before documents are made public.
Meanwhile,
the Sequoia voting machines, which in the Philadelphia region are used in
Montgomery, Gloucester and Burlington Counties, will be tested by Montgomery
County officials today after two complaints were lodged about the machines in
the November elections.
Lewis
issued a report last year saying that "well-intentioned people, some of
them even highly educated and respected, scare voters and public officials with
claims that the voting equipment and/or its software can be manipulated to
change the outcome of elections."
The
report went on to say: "Do not be misled into believing that elections are
reliant upon technology which can be manipulated... .
It may be possible to do many things, but like time travel (which is
theoretically possible), it is highly unlikely at this
time."
Lewis
said he did not think accepting donations from the manufacturers presented any
conflict of interest or breach of ethics.
"I
never approved a voting system anywhere in America," Lewis said. "The
systems were approved by independent testing laboratories."
"We
train a lot of election officials," he added. Lewis said no voting system
could be totally protected. "What you look for is that people go to
reasonable lengths to make sure that elections systems cannot be manipulated.
We have said, and I think legitimately so, it is exceedingly difficult to try
to manipulate an election and do so and remain undetected."
Alfie Charles, vice president of business development
for Sequoia, said the company donated the money to further the work of the
Election Center in its training of officials.
"I
don't think the Election Center has ever favored or done anything to benefit
one company over another, nor would anyone expect them to do that,"
Charles said.
Linda
K. Harris, 215-854-4417 or lharris@phillynews.com
Copyright 2004 Philadelphia Inquirer and wire
service sources.
All Rights Reserved.
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