Unisys, Microsoft, Dell to Create New Voting System

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three of the world's top computer companies have teamed up to vaporize the paper chad by developing an electronic voting system that would overcome the kind of ballot confusion that wracked the U.S. presidential election.

Blue Bell, Pa.-based Unisys Corp. said on Thursday it will bring together hardware from No. 2 PC maker Dell Computer Corp. and software from Microsoft Corp. in the new voting system.

The move comes as the U.S. federal and state governments are seeking a more accurate ballot to replace older voting systems, such as punch cards and lever machines, that are still used by a large percentage of Americans.

The system Unisys would process voter registration, identify voters at polling places, and process and count votes, Unisys said.

Unisys also said it has already developed an electronic voting system for Brazil and Costa Rica, and has partnered with the state of Minnesota to develop a voting system that posts results directly onto the World Wide Web.

In November, supporters of the two main presidential candidates, now President-elect George W. Bush (news - web sites) and Vice President Al Gore (news - web sites), waged an extended battle over which candidate won in the state of Florida.

The argument highlighted what many considered the inadequacy of Florida's paper ballot, whose hanging chads -- the punched out pieces of paper that often clung to the ballot by one or more corners -- symbolized the teetering of the fight over who would become the next U.S. president.

Earlier this month, Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes called for a $200,000 study on better voting systems. In December, a California state lawmaker proposed a bill that would make the state the first to implement online voting.

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2001

Answers

Wonder what the security will be like. *<)))

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2001

Here in eastern NC, home of the supposedly stoopid Southern Cracker --

We have electronic touch-panel machines, have had them for years. There has never been any question about any election ever held here.

16 months ago, we experienced the worst natural disaster seen in North America since Chris Columbus discovered the continent.

Yet we managed to hold an orderly, chad-free election.

Florida, eat yer heart out.

"Don't mess with NC"

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2001