This is bad for democracy because it gives ESS monopoly power for controlling elections in the US. The voting irregularities in past elections concerning equipment manufactured by ESS and Diebold should be ample warning that giving monopoly power to one electronic voting machines manufacturer should never be tolerated in a democracy.

McClatchy News' Washington Bureau scoop of the day:

" WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Camden, N.J., agreed late Friday to hear a request for an emergency injuction that could halt Election Systems & Software's announced acquisition of Diebold Inc.'s Premier Election Solutions.

The quietly arranged shotgun wedding between the two voting-machine giants would give ES&S control of election systems in use in almost 70 percent of the nation's voting precincts. Federal Judge Robert Kugler agreed to hear Tuesday the request for immediate injunction brought by a small competitorm, Hart InterCivic Inc...."

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/politics/story/76093.html