In December, the Leon County Commission -- at Sancho's urging -- voted to replace its Diebold AccuVote optical-scan gear. Sancho cited concerns about the security of the systems and their inability to adhere to federal Help America Vote Act requirements and state election laws.

Days after the vote to replace the Diebold machines, Sancho reached an informal agreement to buy $1.8 million worth of voting equipment from ES&S. That deal fell through a month later, leaving the county facing an order from the Florida secretary of state's office to repay a US$500,000 grant that had been earmarked for the machines.

Sancho suggested that the vendors refused to sell their machines to Leon County "because they could. The laws of Florida offer no protection to elections officials."

The vendors had varying responses to the attorney general's action.

Diebold declined to comment on the subpoenas, but a spokesman contended that the company did not refuse to sell equipment to Leon County; rather, the relationship was terminated by Sancho.