Diebolder, California Style

"Diebold Election Systems (DES) has hired Ogilvy PR to burnish the company's image and the benefits of electronic voting in California," reports PR Week. The state decertified one of DES' e-voting machines last year, and now the company wants to ensure that their "story is told" and that voters "understand the technology," said Ogilvy's Michael Law, who heads DES' California work. Ogilvy is researching public perceptions of DES and developing messages "about the ease of electronic voting, particularly for voters who do not speak English, as well as for handicapped voters." O'Dwyer's reports that DES' California PR is part of a national campaign headed by former Democratic National Committee chair Joe Andrew. Andrew has been praised for his "grassroots organizing" and "golden rolodex" of CEOs and labor leaders. Other PR firms DES has employed include Public Strategies and Compliance Research Group.