Under terms of the Maryland agreement, product hardware will account for approximately $30 million in revenue in 2003, with the remainder of the order accounting for service and maintenance of the systems over the contract period.
In March 2002, the state of Maryland purchased more than 5,000 electronic voting systems for approximately $17 million for use in four Maryland counties: Allegany, Dorchester, Montgomery and Prince George's, home to approximately 35 percent of the state's nearly three million registered voters. These four counties were the first in a state-mandated endeavor to implement a unified voting system throughout the state.
Maryland, the first state in the country to begin implementation of a uniform state-wide computerized touch-screen voting system, is on the forefront of a nationwide "election reform" movement by replacing outdated election equipment with the new electronic systems that are more accurate, convenient and accessible to voters.
"We are very pleased with the voter feedback we've received regarding the Diebold voting stations," said Margaret Jurgensen, election director for Montgomery County, Maryland. "Voters in our county are particularly satisfied with the terminal's ease-of-use and the option to vote in different languages."
