Ion Sancho (politician)

(HAVA), a United States federal law passed on October 29, 2002. [ [http://www.floridatrend.com/law_article.asp?cName=Law%20and%20Government&rName=Public%20Policy&whatID=3&aID=42719405.2161421.592644.4481734.7456709.309&aID2=45579 Florida Trend, Law and Government] ]

At Leon County Commission meetings on February 14 and February 28, 2006 the only two Republicans in the local governments of either the city of Tallahassee or Leon County government, Tony Grippa and Ed Depuy of Leon County's seven-member county commission blasted Sancho for failing to provide Leon County with accessible voting machines in attacks that Sancho believes were politically motivated. [ [http://cvweb.clerk.leon.fl.us/finance/board_minutes/minutes/regular/2006/060228.html Minutes of the Leon County Commission - February 14, 2006] ]

At a Leon County Commission meeting on February 28, 2006, county staff revealed that Chuck Owen, Division Counsel for Diebold Election Systems, met with county staff behind closed doors on February 27. According to staff, Owen stated that Diebold would sell its touch-screen voting machines to the county if, and only if, the county removed Supervisor Sancho from office. [ [http://cvweb.clerk.leon.fl.us/finance/board_minutes/minutes/regular/2006/060228.html Minutes of the Leon County Commission - February 28, 3006] ] That same day, Commissioner DePuy offered a motion, seconded by Commissioner Grippa to request the State Attorney to convene a grand jury to investigate why Leon County is not in compliance with the voting regulations. [ [http://cvweb.clerk.leon.fl.us/finance/board_minutes/minutes/regular/2006/060228.html Minutes of the Leon County Commission, February 28, 2006] ]

Legal action

On March 8, 2006 Sancho initiated legal proceedings against Diebold Election Systems for breach of contract. Attorney Lida Rodriguez Taseff with Duane Morris in Miami filed the suit. Diebold refused to return phone calls to Sancho and staff, refused to honor its existing contract with Leon County for the maintenance and upgrades of its voting system. Further, Diebold refused to sell Leon County touch-screen voting machines to meet state and federal requirements for disabled acessbility. [ [http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=203&topic_id=416163 Democratic Underground: story by Susan Pynchon, Florida Fair Elections Coalition] ]

Ending paperless voting

On May 21, 2007 recently elected Florida Governor Charlie Crist (R) signed a bill in West Palm Beach that bans nearly all paperless electronic voting in Florida and requiring paper optical-scan ballots with the exception of touch screens for the disabled who wish to vote in that specific way. [ [http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2007/05/21/0521crist.html Palm Beach Post, Local News, May 21, 2006] ]

In the media

Sancho has been on National Public Radio and is familiar to readers of the "New York Times", the "Washington Post", "St. Petersburg Times" and appears in the 2006 HBO documentary "Hacking Democracy." [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808532/ Internet Movie Database - Hacking Democracy] ]

See also

*Voting system
*Elections
*Black Box Voting
*Leon County political representation

Sources

* [http://www.sptimes.com/2006/10/31/State/Activist_inside_and_a.shtml St. Petersburg Times]
* [http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2579465 Democratic Underground]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/25/AR2006032500805_pf.html The Washington Post]