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SW: correct tense, others
'''Diebold Election Systems''' (ref. parent [[Diebold Inc.]]) is a provider of "direct recording electronic (DRE) voting solutions" <ref>http://diebold.com/dieboldes/</ref>, or [[voting machine]]s. In August 2007, the Diebold subsidiary's name was changed to '''[[Premier Election Solutions]]'''. <ref>http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/FREE/70816004/1088&Profile=1088</ref>
==New name, same owner==
Following a year-long failed attempt to sell its e-voting subsidiary, the parent company renamed the subsidiary Premier Election Solutions. While still Diebold-owned, PES "will have its own management team and board of directors," and is based in Allen, Texas, while Diebold headquarters are in Ohio, reported ''O'Dwyer's PR Daily''. The PR firm [[Edelman]] "is handling the recasting of Diebold Election Systems to [[Premier Election Solutions]]," reported ''O'Dwyer's''.<ref>http://www.odwyerpr.com/members/0817edelman_diebold.html</ref>
Diebold blamed the lack of buyers on "rapidly evolving political uncertainties and controversies surrounding ... electronic voting systems." Diebold also lowered its e-voting revenue expectations by $120 million, according to Crain's Cleveland Business. A Diebold spokesman "acknowledged that the highly charged attention paid to the subsidiary ... has been a distraction to Diebold," which hopes to "concentrate on its core ATM and security segments." <ref>http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070816/FREE/70816004/1088&Profile=1088</ref>
[[Walden O'Dell]] or 'Wally" O'Dell, the current chairman and CEO of Diebold is a major Bush campaign organizer and donor who wrote in 2003 that he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its [[electoral vote]]s to the president next year." He was very active and visible as a Bush supporter:
"Wally O'Dell, CEO of Diebold Inc., this week [27 August 2003] sent out letters to central Ohio Republicans asking them to raise $10,000 in donations in time for a Sept. 26 Ohio Republican Party event at his home. ... [Ohio State of Ohio]House Minority Leader Chris Redfern, D-Catawba Island, ... and Senate Minority Leader Greg DiDonato, D-New Philadelphia, on Tuesday ... petitioned Secretary of State [[Ken Blackwell]] to drop O'Dell's company from the list of potential suppliers [of new electronic voting machines], saying his presence could undermine Ohio's entire election system." <ref> http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/news/stories/20030827/localnews/140871.html</ref>
:<u>Note</u>: According to the AP (August 29, 2003), the letter was actually dated <ref>http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/business/6646063.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp 14 August 2003</ref>, more than two weeks prior to news stories about it. This is supported by an August 28, 2003 <ref> http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0828-08.htm ''Cleveland Plain Dealer'' news story</ref>news story.
==Allegations of illicit interference with an election==
==Online battles==
===Attempts to prohibit publication of hackability evidence===
On October 10, 2003, electronic voting company Diebold, Inc., sent a cease-and-desist letter to the nonprofit [[Online Policy Group]] (OPG) ISP demanding that OPG remove a page of links published on an Independent Media Center (IndyMedia) website located on a computer server hosted by OPG.
Diebold sent out dozens of similar notices to ISPs hosting [[IndyMedia]] and other websites linking to or publishing copies of [[Diebold internal memo]]s. OPG is was the only ISP so far to resist the takedown demand from Diebold. <ref> http://www.eff.org/Legal/ISP_liability/20031016_eff_pr.php</ref>
On October 16, 2003, the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] announced that it will would defend the Internet Service Provider (ISP) and news website publisher against claims of indirect copyright infringement from the electronic voting machines' manufacturer. <ref>ibid</ref>
On October 21, 2003, Defending defending the right of a fair, democratic election, ''Why War? '' <ref> http://why-war.com/features/2003/10/diebold.html </ref> and the Swarthmore Coalition for the Digital Commons (SCDC) <ref>http://scdc.sccs.swarthmore.edu/ </ref> announced that they are rejecting would reject Diebold Elections Systems' s cease and desist orders and are initiating initiated a legal electronic civil disobedience campaign that will to ensure permanent public access to the controversial leaked memos. Thus, through active, legal electronic civil disobedience, Why War? and SCDC will bring to light the usually silent acts of suppression and censorship. The result will be a '''permanent and public mirror'''<ref>http://cultcom.com/mirror.html</ref> of the memos: documents whose public existence challenges the assumed presence of democracy in America. <ref>http://why-war.com/features/diebold_pr.txt</ref>
On October 22, 2003, the two groups have decided to pursue different courses of action, confident that the actions of both groups will independently result in continued access to Diebold's memos. SCDC has decided to comply with any cease and desist requests and subsequently take legal action against Diebold.<ref> http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/org/daily/archive/fall_2003/20031023.html#n1</ref> Why War?, on the other hand, will continue to provide access to the memos by listing mirrors provided by individuals worldwide.<ref>http://why-war.com/features/2003/10/diebold.html</ref>
