California Sues Diebold Over Voting Machines

The San Jose Mercury News and various other sources report that California Attorney General Bill Lockyer has joined a false-claims lawsuit against Diebold, the manufacturer of a touch-screen voting system purchased by several counties in the state.

The civil suit was initially filed last November by whistle-blowers who charged the company sold the state insecure voting machines that could make elections vulnerable to software glitches or hacking. Lockyer also revealed that he will not file criminal fraud charges against Diebold, although the state’s investigation found the company misled state officials about federal approval of the machines.

California’s joining the suit is a big victory for activists campaigning for stronger software security in such e-voting machines, including more open certification procedures and voter-verifiable paper trails.