The Center for Digital Government recently announced the winners of its 4th annual Government Experience Awards. Los Angeles County’s Voting Solutions for All People (VSAP) and its Interactive Sample Ballot (ISB) technology were among the winners in the County Government Experience category. Smartmatic is proud to have been a named partner to LA County on its contest application.
“Dean Logan and his team at the Office of the Register Recorder/County Clerk have been tireless in bringing the VSAP system to fruition,” said Antonio Mugica, CEO of Smartmatic. “They have been great to work with and we are honored that they included Smartmatic in this award.”
As the manufacturer and system integrator, Smartmatic played a key role in the Interactive Sample Ballot (ISB) innovation, the first of its kind in the US. The ISB, which is hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS), allows voters to access, review and mark their selections prior to going to a Vote Center.
The voter’s selections are saved to their phone, computer or personal device in the form of a QR code, called a Poll Pass. The Poll Pass saves only the voter’s ballot type and their selections but no personal information.
The voter brings their device to a vote center, scans the code to a standard VSAP voting machine, then prints their pre-marked paper ballot. They then cast their ballot like every other in-person voter.
There are two huge advantages to using the ISB. First, it allows the voter to thoughtfully and thoroughly research candidates and ballot measures before choosing. They can do this at home or wherever they are. Second, the ISB reduces their time at the vote center. This is particularly beneficial during the pandemic, when people are trying to maintain social distancing. And the ISB is beneficial for voters with certain disabilities who are more comfortable with their own devices.
Click here to learn more about the Interactive Sample Ballot and VSAP. Watch a video about the ISB here. Read a great case study about the development of the VSAP system here.
The Government Experience Awards recognize the achievements and best practices of states, cities and counties that are radically improving the experience of government and pushing the boundaries of how citizen services are delivered. The winners were announced in Government Technology magazine. The Center for Digital Government is part of e.Republic, Government Technology magazine’s parent company.