Diebold Inc. insisted that cable network HBO cancel a documentary that questions the integrity of its voting machines, calling the program inaccurate and unfair.
The program, "Hacking Democracy," is scheduled to debut Thursday, , five days before the 2006 U.S. midterm elections. The film claims that Diebold voting machines aren't tamper-proof and can be manipulated to change voting results.
If the press was not free Diebold could simply petition the government to stop the program. Under US law they either have to prove, in a court of law, that the program is slanderous (or is it libel? or do neither apply?) Or they have to convince the American public that their machines are safe.
This is an important conversation - we shouldn't trust Diebold just because they say so, the accusations, even if false, are important to maintaining trust in the process.
There are plenty of reasons to not trust the process, adding to them simply isn't an option.
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