County’s electronic voting system is in jeopardy

There is an article today noting that

California’s secretary of state is considering decertifying an “essential” new part of Los Angeles County’s voting system because a vendor missed a deadline to provide key information about it Decertification would be a blow to the Golden State’s largest county, leaving it struggling to comply with federal regulations for the state’s first February presidential primary. Bowen spokeswoman Nicole Winger said decertification “is in the range of options,” but she also said Bowen is committed to ensuring Los Angeles can conduct a proper election next year. “We will work with Los Angeles to make sure they have a system that can be used in elections,” Winger said.

But county Registrar-Recorder Conny McCormack said the InkaVote Plus system, made by Omaha-based Election Systems & Software Inc., is essential to the county’s ability to conduct an election that meets federal requirements. The system was purchased for $25 million and installed last year, when it underwent a certification review by then-Secretary of State Bruce McPherson.

“I just can’t imagine that there would be a Draconian penalty for not being reviewed this year, when it was thoroughly assessed and reviewed and certified last year,” McCormack said. InkaVote Plus, McCormack said, is needed to satisfy new federal requirements to reduce “overvotes” and “undervotes,” and to assist the disabled.