Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Election machine manufacturers suppress report

Sad how we cannot even rely on the courts for transparency in U.S. elections. See below:

(Washington, D.C.) – Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today issued the following statement in response to the New Jersey Superior Court's failure to release the report of computer security experts describing what they found in their analysis of two of the voting machines of the type used in 18 of New Jersey's 21 counties.

"It is regrettable that the report, due by court order to be released on Thursday, has been suppressed at the request of the voting system vendor. Clearly, if the report vindicated the equipment, the vendor would be eager for it to be released. The fact that the vendor requested that it not be released suggests it does not want New Jersey voters to know what it says about the equipment – equipment that failed in the Primary, resulting in the inspection order.

The Court's decision is very troubling, as it leaves voters with virtually no choice but to conclude that there is something wrong with the machines, that the vendor does not want us to know what it is, and that the court is allowing it to be kept secret."