Diebold Election Systems, Inc. is now Premier Election Solutions, Inc. The <press release> emphasizes continuity with increased independence from the parent, Diebold. Yet, at the same time the release indicates that Election Systems has always been relatively independent.
Reuters article emphasizes that Diebold had failed to sell the Election Systems unit which has been a drag on the corporation’s earnings and reputation, speculating on a spin-off.
Brad Friedman speculates “More than anything, however, the move may well be a harbinger of a coming declaration of bankruptcy…declaring bankruptcy or dissolving the company altogether might be less trouble for investors and the main company as a whole, as their extraordinary legal and financial liabilities continue to mount”
What does this mean for Connecticut?
We will need to wait and see. At the minimum we should be aware of the possibility for changes which will negatively effect our elections, especially if there are any disruptions between now and the completion of our November elections.
When problems have been discovered with voting machines other than the models/software releases being purchased for Connecticut, I have said that there is not a shred of evidence that many of the same or similar problems could not occur with Dieblod optical scan equipment. To end on a cheerful note, it seems in this case that there is not a shred of evidence that any other voting equipment vendor is asignificantly more stable nor any less likely to have severe legal and financial problems than Diebold Premier.
