Ex-Officials Now Behind New Voting Machines
Those who led the state's ballot-count reforms now work for the firms making the equipment.
By Tim Reiterman and Peter Nicholas
Times Staff Writers

November 10, 2003

As secretary of state in 2001, Bill Jones moved to rid California of the type of antiquated voting machines that helped throw the presidential election into turmoil in Florida. Then last year he sponsored a successful $200-million industry-backed bond measure that gave counties money to buy high-tech replacements.

Now, the former elections chief is a paid consultant to one of the major voting machine firms vying for that business.

One of his former top aides has become a vice president for business development with the same company, Sequoia Voting Systems. Another former employee is working on Sequoia business strategies.