ClearVote System Passes Federal Certification
Clear Ballot is the first company to certify a completely new voting system in over five years
Feb 08, 2018, 05:06 ET
BOSTON, Feb. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Clear Ballot announced today that the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) has federally certified the ClearVote version 1.4 system. With its roots in election audits, Clear Ballot is the first company to release a voting system that is based on commercial-off-the-shelf components paired with modern software. Commercially available hardware is easy to update and maintain lowering the lifetime cost of ownership for jurisdictions. With its familiar user interface, ClearVote becomes the easiest to use and most efficient voting system available today.
"It is fitting that Clear Ballot has been federally certified with the nation's first completely new voting system against the backdrop of increasing public concern over the security of America's election systems," said Clear Ballot's CEO, Larry Moore. "Our vision for security, transparency, accessibility and performance is now fully realized as a new voting system choice for America's election jurisdictions."
ClearVote is a paper-based voting system in which every voter ends the voting process with a scannable paper ballot. Once ballots are scanned, ballot images can be viewed in ways that have never been possible before. For example, large-scale 100% independent audits can be conducted with ease, close elections can be resolved with full confidence in minutes and election officials can now have a new class of visual tools to strengthen public trust.
ClearVote is made up of the following components:
- ClearCount: a high-speed tabulation and real-time reporting system that scans ballots with commercial-off-the-shelf scanners and allows election officials to visualize voter intent on every ballot. It also reduces the human error inherent in ballot handling and therefore increases efficiency in election administration.
- ClearDesign: a ballot design and layout tool that is intuitive and fast. The user interface allows ballot designers to create, proof and generate ballots quickly with familiar formatting tools including modern text editors. ClearDesign includes modern language and audio handling capabilities to aid jurisdictions of all sizes.
- ClearCast: the precinct scanner of the future. The commercially available components that comprise ClearCast improve the speed and reliability of precinct voting. ClearCast produces archival quality ballot images in a compact voting machine that reduces the cost and burden of transportation and storage.
- ClearAccess: an in-person ballot marking system designed to ensure accessibility for all voters. Developed with feedback from voters at the Perkins School for the Blind, ClearAccess captures voters' choices and prints machine-readable ballots that can be scanned and tabulated within the same processing stream as voter-marked ballots. ClearAccess is the first accessible voting solution to use the Anywhere Ballot, developed by the Center for Civic Design with a grant from the EAC.
Much of ClearVote has been State certified in Oregon, Washington and Colorado, significantly improving the efficiency and transparency of their election processes over multiple election cycles. The system has been tested in counties ranging from 4,000 registered voters to 1.2 million registered voters in King County, Washington, the 10th largest county in the country. Our customer's feedback has led to numerous feature enhancements and performance improvements that are now present in ClearVote 1.4.
"At a time when the nation's voting systems are aging and there is a renewed focus on the accessibility, accuracy and security of elections, the EAC is proud to test and certify voting systems," said Brian Hancock, Director of the Election Assistance Commission's Voting System Testing and Certification program. "This process ensures state and local election officials can confidently purchase new equipment that meets federal requirements."
"The EAC testing process is highly rigorous and becomes more and more stringent and challenging with each passing year. Federal testing not only gives tremendous assurance that the system is durable and reliable, but also confirms its security and accuracy. Clear Ballot Engineering and Product Management put their energy and focus into "baking in" these attributes during system design," said Clear Ballot VP of Product Ed Smith. "With this certification, I am proud that we can bring the voting system of the future to states and jurisdictions nationwide."
About Clear Ballot:
Clear Ballot is the leader in election innovation. We have introduced a new class of tools and a modern approach to voting, enabling unprecedented speed, accuracy, and transparency that officials and the voting public have sought for decades. Designed for ease-of-use, Clear Ballot's browser-based software, used in conjunction with commercially available scanning hardware, scales to election jurisdictions of all sizes, and responds directly to the budgetary realities of counties and municipalities. Our election technology has been used in seven states, and now, as of today, is federally certified.
Contact
Hillary Lincoln
Clear Ballot
617-842-5127
[email protected]
SOURCE Clear Ballot