Diebold Enters Election Market

Diebold Inc. plans to acquire Global Election Systems Inc. in a stock swap deal worth about $31.5 million.

Global Elections Systems, McKinney, Texas, manufactures voting machine equipment. The company, which has about 100 employees, has provided optical scan and touch-screen voting machines to more than 850 jurisdictions in North America.

Diebold, North Canton, Ohio, makes automated teller machines.

As part of the deal Diebold also will provide $5 million of immediate financing to Global Elections Systems and has agreed to produce more than 500 touch-screen voting terminals to fulfill an existing contract held by Global Elections Systems.