  This paper undertakes a critical reexamination of the electrostatic version
of the Aharonov-Bohm ("AB") effect. The conclusions are as follows: 1. Aharonov
and Bohm's 1959 exposition is invalid because it does not consider the
wavefunction of the entire system, including the source of electrostatic
potential. 2. As originally proposed, the electrostatic AB effect does not
exist. Perhaps surprisingly, this conclusion holds despite the relativistic
covariance of the electromagnetic four-potential combined with the
well-established magnetic AB effect. 3. Although the authors attempted, in a
1961 paper, to demonstrate that consideration of the entire system would not
change their result, they inadvertently assumed the desired outcome in their
analysis. 4. Claimed observations of the electrostatic AB effect or an analogue
thereof are shown to be mistaken.
