The EFF has put out an Action Alert asking you to write your representative to support the "Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003", which I've written about before. I wrote a letter to my Representative outlining some of the reasons this legislation is important. The EFF page makes writing and sending the letter easy --- please do this! Let's keep the Diebold fiasco from ever occurring again.
Judge Fogel did not immediately grant a temporary restraining order today to prevent Diebold from issuing more cease-and-desist notices, but did set an accelerated schedule to hear the EFF's countersuit against Diebold. November 17th (two weeks time) is the new court date. The Judge's order is online. An Associated Press article and a C|Net article about the EFF's countersuit.
In the "good news" department: California has halted certification of new Diebold machines after discovering that uncertified software may have been used in Alameda county. Note that the Diebold memos directly support this allegation, for example in a memo from Rodney Turner on August 31, 2000:
Hi Jeff, I have completed the computer for LA and Alameda. The computer for LA has GEMS 1-16-9 and the AVTS units have 3-13-1-4. The computer for Alameda has GEMS 1-16-10 and GEMS 1-16-9 ( there is a short-cut on the desktop for GEMS 1-16-9) the AVTS units have 3-13-1-4.None of the mentioned versions of GEMS have the necessary certifications. The final email on this topic has the subject "1-17-7-5 testing" and says, "i think it can be released to the Ca Counties" -- of course this version is also uncertified and thus illegal to use in a California election.
It's a Very Good Thing that the California Secretary of State has woken up and is starting to look into this. I'd recommend subpoena'ing the "authentic" copies of these memos from Diebold straight away. That's one of the nice powers you have in a criminal case.