Now, the prospect of huge infusions of federal money is prompting some large players to rethink their aversion for the voting equipment business. Computer giant Unisys announced last month plans to market an election system that would automate everything from voter registration to vote counting. Other high-tech companies are working to perfect Internet voting systems, and IBM is rumored to be considering jumping back into the business. Harder than selling computers But selling voting machines is more complex than selling computers, says Richard Smolka, publisher of a national newsletter on running elections. The experts reside in the private industry, and that's what makes it go around.
Any company angling for a piece of the action faces a long, tortuous road.
Elections are a complex undertaking, carried out under state laws that vary widely and procedures and requirements that are different in each of America's 7,000 voting jurisdictions. Voting equipment must be certified by testing laboratories, then blessed by each state's top election officials. Sales are made by slogging from one county election board to the next. In most states, each county makes its own purchasing decisions. Even if new orders pour in, those barriers remain.