Premier Election Solutions
Premier Election Solutions was a United States voting-technology brand and former Diebold subsidiary that supplied electronic voting, optical-scan, and election-management systems.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Premier Election Solutions was the name used from 2007 by the election-technology business formerly known as Diebold Election Systems, Inc. The business manufactured and sold voting equipment and related election software in the United States. Its product portfolio included touch-screen direct-recording electronic voting machines, optical-scan ballot systems, central-count equipment, and the GEMS election-management platform used to configure elections, collect tabulation data, and report results. The business developed from an election-systems operation associated with Global Election Systems. Diebold announced its acquisition of Global Election Systems in January 2002, paying approximately $24.7 million in cash and stock. Global Election Systems was subsequently renamed Diebold Election Systems. The unit became closely associated with the wider public debate over electronic voting, election-security controls, software transparency, and the reliability of computerized vote tabulation in the United States. In the early 2000s, researchers, election-security advocates, journalists, and state officials reported or investigated vulnerabilities affecting systems associated with Diebold Election Systems. Issues discussed publicly included the protection of proprietary software and election files, removable memory-card security, the ability of malicious software to alter vote totals or audit records, physical access to voting terminals, and the adequacy of testing and certification procedures. These controversies did not establish that election outcomes were changed by the company’s equipment, but they contributed to heightened scrutiny, litigation, state reviews, decertifications, and movement in some jurisdictions toward paper ballots and optical scanning. The Diebold name was removed from the front of the voting machines during a corporate rebranding effort in the late 2000s. In August 2007, Diebold Election Systems adopted the Premier Election Solutions name. The rebranding separated the election-products identity from the Diebold corporate name, which had become particularly prominent in public criticism of electronic voting. Election Systems & Software acquired Premier Election Solutions on September 3, 2009. Antitrust authorities and several states challenged the transaction because the combination of the two major voting-equipment suppliers could reduce competition. In March 2010, the United States Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust action requiring divestiture of the Premier assets acquired by ES&S. Dominion Voting Systems purchased the principal assets on May 19, 2010, including intellectual property, software, firmware, hardware, legacy and current optical-scan and touch-screen systems, and versions of the GEMS election-management system. The Premier brand therefore ceased to operate as an independent business, while portions of its technology and installed base continued under new ownership.
History
Premier Election Solutions was the successor brand to Diebold Election Systems, the election-technology operation developed through Global Election Systems. The business supplied equipment and software used by election administrators, including touch-screen direct-recording electronic voting machines, optical-scan systems, central-count equipment, and the GEMS election-management platform. The company’s documented corporate lineage includes the work of Bob Urosevich, who had been involved in election-technology businesses since the 1970s. Urosevich founded American Information Systems in 1979, a company that later became Election Systems & Software and developed into a competitor. In 1995 he started I-Mark Systems, whose technology included a touch-screen voting system using smart-card and biometric authorization concepts. Global Election Systems acquired I-Mark in 1997. Urosevich became Global Election Systems’ president and chief operating officer in 2000. Diebold announced the acquisition of Global Election Systems on January 22, 2002. The reported purchase price was about $24.7 million in cash and stock. Global Election Systems was then renamed Diebold Election Systems, Inc. During the following years, the business became one of the most visible participants in the United States electronic-voting market. That visibility brought sustained controversy. In 2003, proprietary software, election files, hardware and software specifications, program files, and patches associated with the Diebold operation were leaked online. Internal company memoranda were also published by activist and civic websites, leading Diebold to issue copyright-based demands for removal. The dispute later produced the OPG v. Diebold litigation, in which a federal court found that Diebold had misused copyright claims in attempting to suppress publication of the documents. Independent researchers reported security weaknesses in several Diebold systems. A 2004 analysis by Avi Rubin and colleagues characterized the software security as substantially below ordinary security standards. A separate review commissioned by Maryland and conducted by SAIC described the system as presenting a high risk of compromise when policy, procedure, and technology were considered together. Subsequent investigations examined memory-card attacks against optical-scan equipment, software-update controls on touch-screen terminals, removable media, physical access, and the possibility that malicious software could alter vote totals and audit records. Reports commissioned by California and Ohio later contributed to state-level reviews and election-system decisions. The company also faced criticism related to the political activities of Diebold chief executive Walden O’Dell. In 2003, O’Dell publicly described himself as a major fundraiser for President George W. Bush and used language about helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president. Although he later characterized the wording as a mistake and said the election unit was operationally separate, critics viewed the statement as creating an appearance of conflict of interest. O’Dell left his chairman and chief executive positions at Diebold in December 2005. In late 2006, Diebold decided to remove its name from the front of its voting machines. The election business formally changed its name to Premier Election Solutions in August 2007. The rebranding was a corporate and market-positioning decision made against a background of public concern about Diebold’s role in elections. Premier was acquired by Election Systems & Software on September 3, 2009. The transaction triggered antitrust investigations by the Department of Justice and 14 states because ES&S and Premier were major competitors. In March 2010, the Justice Department filed a civil antitrust lawsuit and required ES&S to divest the acquired Premier assets. Dominion Voting Systems completed the purchase on May 19, 2010, with approval from the Justice Department and nine state attorneys general. The assets included current and legacy optical-scan, central-scan, and touch-screen systems, associated intellectual property, software and firmware, and versions of GEMS. Premier Election Solutions consequently ceased to function as an independent brand, although its technology and installed systems became part of Dominion’s portfolio.
- 2010
Dominion acquires Premier assets
[1]Dominion Voting Systems purchased the principal Premier assets after an antitrust divestiture order concerning the ES&S acquisition.
- 2009
ES&S completes acquisition
[1]Election Systems & Software acquired Premier Election Solutions.
- 2007
Premier Election Solutions brand launches
[1]Diebold Election Systems changed its name to Premier Election Solutions.
- 2002
Diebold acquires Global Election Systems
[1]Diebold acquired Global Election Systems for approximately $24.7 million in cash and stock; the business became Diebold Election Systems.
- 1997
Global Election Systems acquires I-Mark
[1]Global Election Systems acquired I-Mark Systems, expanding its electronic-voting technology portfolio.
- 1995
I-Mark Systems is established
[1]Bob Urosevich founded I-Mark Systems to develop touch-screen voting technology using smart-card and biometric authorization concepts.
- 1979
American Information Systems is founded
[1]Bob Urosevich founded American Information Systems, which later became Election Systems & Software and a major competitor to the Diebold election-systems business.
Products and positioning
A full-service election-technology supplier serving public-sector election administrators with voting terminals, ballot scanners, election-management software, and related infrastructure. Its market position was built around large institutional deployments, but the brand became strongly associated with the security, transparency, and certification controversies surrounding computerized voting.
Touch-screen direct-recording electronic voting machine
AccuVote-TSx
A touch-screen direct-recording electronic voting terminal associated with the Diebold and Premier product families. Security researchers examined the platform in the mid-2000s and reported vulnerabilities involving software installation, physical access, and the protection of vote records and audit information.
Optical-scan voting equipment
AccuVote optical-scan systems
Optical-scan equipment designed to read paper ballots and transmit or store vote totals. Research and state reviews focused particularly on removable memory cards and whether manipulated election data could be detected without comparison against the original paper ballots.
Election-management and tabulation software
GEMS
An election-management system used with voting equipment to configure elections, manage ballot and precinct information, collect results, and support tabulation and reporting. Versions of GEMS were among the principal assets transferred to Dominion in 2010.
Controversies
2009
Antitrust challenge to ES&S acquisition
The Department of Justice and multiple states investigated ES&S’s purchase of Premier on the grounds that it could reduce competition in the voting-systems market. The resulting action required divestiture of the Premier assets.
2007
California decertifies Diebold systems
Following a statewide review, California decertified Diebold and other electronic voting systems. The action formed part of the regulatory background preceding the Premier rebrand.
2006
Touch-screen and optical-scan vulnerabilities
Researchers reported additional vulnerabilities affecting the TSx touch-screen platform and AccuVote optical-scan equipment, including concerns about unauthorized software changes, removable media, and alteration of election results.
2004
Security reviews of Diebold voting systems
Academic and government-commissioned studies reported serious weaknesses in the security design and operational controls of Diebold voting systems, intensifying scrutiny of the technology later marketed under the Premier name.
2003
Political-conflict controversy involving Walden O’Dell
Diebold chief executive Walden O’Dell’s fundraising for George W. Bush and a statement about helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes prompted criticism that his political role created an appearance of conflict of interest for a company involved in election technology. O’Dell later said the wording was poorly chosen and reduced his political profile.
2003
Leak of proprietary materials and internal memoranda
Proprietary technical materials and internal Diebold memoranda were published online. Diebold attempted to stop dissemination through cease-and-desist and copyright claims, but the dispute ultimately led to litigation over whether those claims were improperly used to suppress publication.
Brand decisions
2010
Divestiture of Premier assets to DominionM&ABackground
The Justice Department concluded that the ES&S acquisition raised competition concerns and required restoration of competition in the voting-systems market.
Action taken
Dominion Voting Systems purchased Premier’s primary assets, including election-system hardware, software, firmware, intellectual property, and GEMS versions, on May 19, 2010.
Aftermath
Premier ceased to operate as an independent brand, while the acquired technology and installed base became part of Dominion’s business.
2009
ES&S acquires Premier Election SolutionsM&ABackground
ES&S and Premier were major suppliers in the United States election-technology market.
Action taken
Election Systems & Software completed the acquisition of Premier on September 3, 2009.
Aftermath
The transaction prompted antitrust investigations and ultimately required ES&S to divest the Premier assets.
- Dominion Voting Systems — Dominion acquired the divested assets in 2010.
2007
Rebrand the election-systems business as PremierStrategyBackground
The Diebold name had become closely associated with controversy over electronic voting and election security.
Action taken
Diebold Election Systems changed its name to Premier Election Solutions and removed the Diebold identity from the front of its voting machines.
Aftermath
The business continued supplying voting equipment under the Premier name until its acquisition and subsequent divestiture of assets.
Recent events
- 2010
Justice Department requires divestiture of Premier assets[1]
Lawsuit · Regulation · M&A
After antitrust scrutiny of the ES&S transaction, the Department of Justice required the divestiture of the acquired Premier voting-system assets.
- 2010
Dominion purchases primary Premier assets[1]
M&A
Dominion Voting Systems acquired Premier’s primary intellectual property, software, firmware, hardware, and election-management-system assets from ES&S.
- 2009
ES&S acquires Premier Election Solutions[1]
M&A
Election Systems & Software completed its acquisition of Premier Election Solutions, combining two major United States voting-technology suppliers.
- 2007
Diebold Election Systems adopts Premier Election Solutions name[1]
Other
The election-systems business changed its name as Diebold sought to remove its corporate identity from the front of its voting machines.
- 2002
Diebold announces acquisition of Global Election Systems[1]
M&A
Diebold announced the acquisition of Global Election Systems, an electronic-voting equipment and solutions supplier, for approximately $24.7 million in cash and stock.
Sources1 sources
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