Election Reform

Allowing just Diebold does indeed leave open a chance that the company could install their own software. With three companies supplying the machines there's little to no chance that they would dare conspire for fear of losing a multimillion dollar contract to another company. Imagining that all three companies meet behind closed doors is too much to believe, even in a movie plot. If only one company's machines record an extraordinary number of votes for one candidate there's a red flag.

In nearly every conspiracy theory about voting machines in Ohio they cite the questionable hardware used before Gov Strickland took office in 2005. He overhauled the entire system to include multiple vendors and a printed paper trail that is stored at individual BOE locations for years after the election in case of a dispute or compromised count.

That paper verification (which is witnessed by the voter) is a ticking time bomb for anyone who tampers with the electronic tally. Anyone who touches a machine has to sign off on their actions, so the risk is great and the reward small.