It’s election season. You know what that means: thousands of lost votes, missing paper records, and an air of general confusion.
Sometimes it’s hard not to wonder: “Who the hell makes these things?”
That dubious distinction belongs, primarily, to a company called ES&S, the largest voting machine company in the country. ES&S commands about 50% market share in the voting machine biz.
But, as ProPublica reports, ES&S didn’t become the biggest ballot business by accident…
How, exactly? It’s not pretty:
And, as election season starts, things don’t seem likely to get much better:
The voting machine biz is relatively small — around $300m in annual revenue — and very niche.
So, since it often takes more than $1m to get certified as a voting machine manufacturer — and since ES&S routinely sues competitors — innovative new businesses are unlikely to get in the biz.