United States, Los Angeles – June 13, 2018 – A new voting system that will modernize the way Los Angeles County voters cast their ballots on Election Day is one step closer to becoming a reality after a contract was awarded to Smartmatic to assist the Registrar-Recorder County Clerk in the development, manufacturing and implementation of the County’s new system by 2020.
“We are extremely pleased to be taking this important step forward in delivering on our commitment to modernize the voting experience in Los Angeles County and to lead in the development and implementation of a non-proprietary, publicly-owned voting system that is responsive to the needs and behavior of our electorate,” said Dean Logan, Registrar of Voters, following the awarding of the contract at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday.
Since 2009, the Registrar-Recorder County Clerk has been working on an initiative called Voting Solutions for All People (VSAP) to replace the County’s aging voting system that lacks technical and functional elasticity necessary to continue to accommodate a growing and increasingly diverse electorate.
Smartmatic and its team will be responsible for systems integration, engineering and manufacturing of the system components that were designed by and for Los Angeles County during prior phases of the VSAP initiative that focus on security, accessibility and usability.
The new system will make it easier for voters with disabilities, and voters with limited English proficiency, to cast a ballot and will feature an independent, open-source developed vote tally system owned and operated by the County.
“Smartmatic is eager to move forward with this project and bring this long-awaited system to the voters of Los Angeles County. We are excited to partner with the County of Los Angeles to create an accessible and enjoyable voting experience for its voters,” said Kevin Shelly, President, Smartmatic USA.
Smartmatic was chosen after being scored by technical, legal and financial evaluators in accordance with Los Angeles County’s competitive procurement policies. The company has extensive experience in manufacturing secure and customized election technology all over the world.
LA County’s new voting system is slated to be in place in time for the March 2020 California Presidential Primary election. Two pilot programs will be conducted prior to that election.
On May 2, 2019, NBC Investigations reported on the development of the VSAP system. That story can be found here.
To learn more about Voting Solutions for All People, visit vsap.lavote.net
