Sequoia Gives Away Electronic Voting Machines in Swing State Before November Election

November 8, 2004

I’m a lawyer researching Sequoia Electronic Voting systems used in Washington state. They are also used in the swing state of Nevada (in all counties) thanks to federal grants.

In August of 2004 Sequoia wanted to get its software into the Reno area (Washoe County Board of Commissioners). How much do you think it costs to license their software for voting purposes? $30,000 a year, plus an annual adjustment for increased costs and inflation EXCEPT THAT THE FIRST FOUR YEARS ARE FREE. That’s right, free. See page 743 (PDF). Sequoia wanted to get their software into swing states like Nevada so badly, they gave away the first $120,000 in licensing fees for four years to get the counties to sign on. Nevada’s population is 90% urban, consisting mainly of Clark County (Las Vegas) and Reno (Washoe County). Nevada also previously received around $15 million in federal grants to defray the anticipated $17 million cost of the voting machines themselves.

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