ALLEN, Texas, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As the final jurisdiction in Maryland to convert to touch-screen technology provided by Diebold Election Systems, Baltimore City will implement more than 1,900 touch-screen units to replace their existing 250-pound, full-face voting systems.
The completion of the third phase of the uniform statewide Maryland election system project, initiated in 2002, will enable the entire Maryland electorate to use more than 18,000 Diebold touch-screen voting units. The agreement with the state of Maryland also includes maintenance and support services. Initial deployment of the voting stations in Baltimore City is scheduled for the 2006 election cycle.
A Cal Tech/MIT study conducted following the November 2004 general election indicates that the state of Maryland experienced the lowest voter error rate in the nation during the election, with Diebold Election Systems' touch-screen voting solutions installed virtually statewide. In addition, the study indicates Maryland voter error decreased by 40 percent when results from the general election in 2000 were compared to the general election of 2004, primarily due to the touch-screen system implementation.
"We look forward to working with Baltimore City election officials to provide their electorate with the same accurate and easy-to-use system used in all other Maryland jurisdictions," said Thomas W. Swidarski, president, Diebold Election Systems. "The three-phase statewide project implementation in Maryland has progressed extremely well and has produced very successful, accurate and secure elections for jurisdictions throughout the state."
The Help America Vote Act requires all voters to have the ability to cast their ballot with an equal level of privacy and independence. All Diebold touch-screen voting stations support voice guidance capability, enabling blind and visually impaired voters to privately make candidate selections and cast their ballots independently.
Diebold Election Systems, Inc. is a wholly owned operating subsidiary of Diebold, Incorporated, a global leader in providing integrated self-service delivery systems and services. Diebold Election Systems provides high-quality voting technology to jurisdictions of all sizes, along with comprehensive service and support capability, and is committed to elections accuracy, security and integrity. For more information on Diebold Election Systems, visit the company's Web site at http://www.dieboldes.com, or call 1-800-433-VOTE.
SOURCE Diebold, Incorporated
CONTACT: Media, David Bear of Diebold Election Systems, Inc., +1-800-433-8683, ext.112, or cell, +1-317-997-9300, or dbear@pstrategies.com; or Mike Jacobsen of Diebold, Incorporated, +1-330-490-3796, or jacobsm1@diebold.com ; or Investors, John Kristoff of Diebold, Incorporated, +1-330-490-5900, or kristoj@diebold.com
© PR Newswire
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