SACRAMENTO — California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley on Friday withdrew his approval of electronic voting machines throughout the state -- a step that could force many voters to return to paper ballots in November.
Shelley's decision -- which experts called the most significant setback yet in the nation's shift to computerized voting -- allows 10 of 14 California counties that use electronic voting to reapply for certification if they meet 23 new security conditions.
The remaining four counties -- San Diego, San Joaquin, Solano and Kern -- are banned from using their touch-screen systems in November. Shelley, the state's top elections official, also called on California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer to investigate the company that made the equipment in those counties, Diebold Election Systems, for allegedly lying to state officials.
Across California, registrars of voters said they were surprised by Shelley's action, which was harsher than steps recommended by an advisory panel earlier this week.
Even those whose counties were granted permission to seek recertification said they didn't know whether they would be able to meet the new requirements in time for the November election.
"At this point in time, electronic voting doesn't appear to be an option," said Scott Konopasek, San Bernardino County's registrar of voters. "This really came out of the blue today."
California had been leading the nation's shift to electronic voting, with more than 40% of the state's voters casting ballots electronically in the March primary. Electronic voting systems started gaining favor after problems with punch-card ballots in Florida delayed the final tally of votes in the 2000 presidential election for several weeks.
But Shelley, at a news conference in his office, said he was deeply concerned about a host of election day problems that prevented an unknown number of voters from casting ballots in March.
In San Diego County, for example, the Diebold AccuVote-TSx system malfunctioned, causing 55% of the county's polling places to open late and preventing an unknown number of voters from casting ballots, according to a report by the secretary of state.
In Orange County, thousands of voters were issued the wrong ballots on voting machines made by Hart InterCivic. As a result, some voters cast ballots in races in which they were ineligible and were prevented from voting in races that affected them. Orange County officials later blamed the problem on inadequate training of poll workers.
