United States, California – September 24, 2015 – In 2016, according to NYU Law School’s Brennan Center study, 43 states will use electronic voting machines that are at least 10 years old, perilously close to the end of most systems’ expected lifespan. As elections are set to take center stage in the coming year, both in the United States and abroad, and as technology plays an increasingly dominant role in elections, the need for innovative and up-to-date technology to avoid failures and crashes is even more important.
Yesterday, September 24, the Atlantic Council, in partnership with Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, presented a public address by President Toomas Ilves of Estonia on the future of technology in elections. At the event, “Democracy Rebooted: The Future of Technology in Elections,” President Ilves discussed how technology can promote transparency, inclusion, and stronger democracies. The country is a global leader in voting technology with voters being given the opportunity to cast a ballot online in the last eight consecutive national elections.
In 2014, Smartmatic the world’s leader in election automation, and Cybernetica, Estonia’s leading IT lab, co-founded the Centre of Excellence for Internet Voting. The Centre is working with the government of Estonia to advance Internet voting nationally, and to export it to many other countries around the globe.
“The future of voting is digital” said Antonio Mugica, CEO of Smartmatic, a co-sponsor of the event. “Estonia has led the way regarding internet voting and it is inevitable that other countries will follow. Our platform, built on tried and tested technologies offers a number of clear benefits to voters in terms of convenience, accessibility and ease of use.”
Of the eight countries currently pioneering election automation, Smartmatic provides voting technology and services to six of them. In the Unites States, Smartmatic has provided technology and support services to the Electoral Commissions of 307 counties in 16 states including California.
“The current voting infrastructure in the U.S. is obsolete, underscoring the need for better voting technology,” said Mugica. “Smartmatic is committed to providing counties and states with the most advanced technology and know-how to ensure voters have a positive voting experience.”
To date, close to 57,000 voting and counting machines have been deployed by Smartmatic in the US, with almost 392,000 electoral devices configured successfully. In fact, President Obama has voted twice with a voting machine designed and manufactured by Smartmatic.
