NEWARK Diebold Inc. has sent letters to every member of the Licking County Chamber of Commerce to show its displeasure with the Licking County Board of Elections' intention to purchase the county's touch-screen voting machines from an out-of-state company.

Canton-based Diebold mailed out approximately 700 letters asking members to support its effort to get the final contract.

Licking County Board of Elections Chairman Mike King said he believes that the best choice for a company is Sequoia Voting Systems, out of Oakland, Calif., because the system is a better fit for the county.

Sequoia's parent company is De La Rue, based in the United Kingdom.

The systems are needed to bring Licking County up to accelerated voting standards.

Mark Radke, director of voting industry at Diebold Election Systems Inc., said representatives from the company have had conversations with the board, and that 14 other counties have already pledged to buy their machines from the company pending state approval.

Radke said the company feels Licking County should be loyal to it because Diebold operates a plant in Newark, even though the Newark plant does not manufacture the voting machines.

The letter was also signed by Addy Farou, the Newark plant's manager.

"We are a little concerned because of our length of history we have with Licking County," Radke said. "It's been a sound, long-term relationship."

The machines should be paid for with federal money from the Help America Vote Act and possible new taxes.

"The board of elections has not signed a contract, has not sent out a request to bid or anything else," King said. "All we're doing is taking a very significant look at what they offer.

"We haven't made the firm decision. We're not actively looking; we are comfortable with what we've seen. That's about where we're at."

Reporter Lachelle Seymour can be reached at 328-8546 or lseymour@nncogannett.com