E-Voting Decertified in California

(Sacramento) Apparently, electronic voting machines have been challenged by experts and lost.

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, bowing to fears of computer fraud, Friday decertified Los Angeles County's electronic voting system and sharply curtailed the use of two other machines that California counties had hoped to use to conduct the February 2008 presidential primary.

She said she would allow unlimited use of one system, Hart InterCivic, as long as security and auditing safeguards are implemented.

But in the case of two major companies -- Diebold Election Systems and Sequoia Voting Systems -- Bowen said she would allow just one machine per polling place, apparently to provide an accessible option for disabled voters.

A significant number of California counties have invested mucho dinero for their machines and now they won't be able to use them. I'm guessing they're pretty puckered. California's registrars will likely try to fight the decision.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.