Senate committee to review election unit sale by Ohio’s Diebold Inc.

Senate panel to review election unit sale

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Senate committee plans to review potential problems in the sale of an Ohio company’s voting-machine unit to its market-leading rival.

The review of the Diebold (DEE’-bold) Inc. sale of Premier Election Solutions was announced Friday by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., head of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.

Schumer says the deal means Election Systems & Software Inc. of Omaha, Neb., controls a big majority of the U.S. voting-system market. He says that could jeopardize the integrity of elections.

North Canton-based Diebold says the sale was completed last month and referred questions to ES&S, which didn’t immediately comment. A message seeking comment was left at ES&S offices.