Seeking information, Coffman threatens voting machine vendors
April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News
Published August 29, 2007 at midnight
Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman warned suppliers of electronic voting equipment that their machines will be banned in the 2008 election unless they provide the necessary information needed to retest the equipment.
Coffman charged that Diebold, Hart InterCivic, ES&S and Sequoia have been slow to provide documentation, hardware, and other information to retest and certify voting machines as required by state law.
In a letter sent Wednesday to the four vendors, Coffman threatened to decertify the machines and bar their use if the vendors fail to fully cooperate.
"Despite repeated demands since the beginning of this process, to this day we have still not received all of the information from each of the vendors that we need to complete testing," Coffman said in a statement.
The deadline for vendors to provide the information is Nov. 16.
The vendors could be immediately reached for comment.
Coffman's office must test and certify all new voting equipment purchased by counties after May, 28, 2004 to ensure the machines meet state standards for security and accuracy.
In 2006, former Secretary of State Gigi Dennis was sued by plaintiffs who alleged that the testing process was flawed and failed to prove that the electronic voting equipment was secure and accurate.
The plaintiffs sought an injunction on further use of the electronic voting machines until the equipment could be retested. The judge denied the request, but ordered that all previously certified equipment must be retested prior to the next primary, general or statewide ballot issue election.
There are no statewide ballot issues this November. Counties and cities are having elections, but most are using mail ballots, not voting machines.
But federal law requires voting machines for the 2008 general election.
County clerks are pressuring Coffman's office to complete its retesting and re-certification of voting machines. Coffman had hoped to have the work done by July 1, but the target is now December because of what he called repeated vendor delays.
Coffman said the "threat is real" and his offices will develop a contingency plan for counties for the general election if the four vendors fail to act.
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