Unisys, Microsoft, Dell to Create New Voting System

January 11, 2001 6:12 AM

Unisys, Microsoft, Dell to Create New Voting System The system will integrate election processes from voter registration to counting results, Unisys said. Let the Microsoft jokes begin . . .
posted by Outlawyr (13 comments total)

Instead of a hanging chad you'll have a hanging OS
posted by Outlawyr at 6:49 AM on January 11, 2001

As long as they don't patent any of the technologies they create, this could be great — a real solution to a real problem. I just don't want them owning our elections, like Votomatic does now.
posted by capt.crackpipe at 7:30 AM on January 11, 2001

Version 2.0 of the software will include the option for the Supreme Court to nullify the results and choose a winner.
posted by Outlawyr at 7:37 AM on January 11, 2001

Are you sure you wish to send all votes to the recycle bin?
posted by Markb at 8:14 AM on January 11, 2001

Do we really trust a system devloped by people ho would profit from republicans in office? I mean come on, all these companies gave money to the Republicans. Microsoft has a lot to gain from a Republican government with the anti-trust case.

personally, I think we should ask a university to develop the software/hardware for elections.
posted by DragonBoy at 8:30 AM on January 11, 2001

"Just a moment...just a moment...I've just picked up a fault in the Florida unit. It's going to go a hundred percent failure within 72 hours"
[Sorry, I know HAL humor is passe, but it IS 2001 after all]
posted by Outlawyr at 8:38 AM on January 11, 2001

As long as they don't patent any of the technologies they create...

Yeah, it's not like we're talking about a company <fnord>Unisys</fnord> that would claim intellectual property rights over the most common graphical file format in use today.
posted by harmful at 8:58 AM on January 11, 2001

Do we really trust a system devloped by people who would profit from republicans in office?
....
personally, I think we should ask a university to develop the software/hardware for elections.

By which you mean, people who would profit from Democrats in office?
posted by daveadams at 12:16 PM on January 11, 2001

So I guess the government's position is that Microsoft can't be trusted to compete fairly in the marketplace but they can be trusted to create the infrastructure that will control our elections.

Ok.
posted by Outlawyr at 1:58 PM on January 11, 2001

Here's my idea for a voting system: An LCD Screen with giant buttons with the name of each candidate on it. Once done, you'd see a summary appear. After you confirmed, 2 printouts of your vote would be recorded. One you would keep. One would go to records. Both would have the same number on them (although a non-identifying number). After the votes were counted, you could check your votes online, and register a complaint if they wound up different.

End problems.

Peace,
Kevs
posted by Kevs at 8:13 PM on January 11, 2001

I'm sure they'll run out of toner on the big day.
posted by lagado at 9:23 PM on January 11, 2001

It's high time that balloting be regularized throughout the U.S., this would avoid confusion over formats and make the whole process simpler (bring it on, federalists).
posted by Bag Man at 7:11 PM on January 12, 2001