For the last 12 years, Smartmatic has cemented its position as the world leader in voting automation thanks to successful deployments in Venezuela, the Philippines, the United States, Belgium and Brazil, among other countries. The figures of our executed projects and counted votes are unparalleled in the industry.
In 2012, Smartmatic consolidated its position in the Philippines, entered Europe, provided services in Brazil and organized two elections in Venezuela. Only in October 2012, services and technology were offered to approximately 170 million voters worldwide so they could exercise their right.
As a result of our constant efforts to improve electoral transparency and efficiency, in 2012 Smartmatic favorably tested a biometric authentication device and the VP-1500 e-ballot; the latter allows for the safe recording of the voter´s will through a user-friendly interface.
Smartmatic set the trend in voting automation when it carried out the first national election in the world using printed voting vouchers in 2004. Once again, in 2012 the company made history by executing the first election using biometric voter authentication to activate the voting session. These elections, which took place in Venezuela on October 7th 2012, were the first of its kind in the world: fully automated.
For Smartmatic, innovation has been and will continue to be a determining factor of our electoral solutions. Our leading position in the market is largely due to our firm conviction to innovation.
Today Smartmatic has three research and development centers, located in Panama, Venezuela and Taiwan, where the technological tools that enhance transparency and efficiency levels in elections around the world are generated.
During 2013, several initiatives around the globe will give us reasons to be very optimistic. Among them are:
The Philippines: In the Philippines, Smartmatic will be in charge of providing technology and associated services for the upcoming May 13 elections, where the members of parliament will be elected together with representatives for the municipalities and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), for a total of 18,022 offices.
Brazil: Within the framework of a 5-year service contract, Smartmatic will continue to give technical support to the country’s sophisticated electronic voting platform.
Venezuela: Smartmatic will be in charge of executing its 12th national election in Venezuela. In this event, the mayors of approximately 326 municipalities throughout the country will be elected.