The new system will enable Texas to have a managed, statewide voter registration database that will provide greater security and accuracy of voter registration data. The coordinated statewide effort will help ensure accurate registration while maintaining the integrity of the voter registration system.
For the project, IBM will collaborate with key sub-contractor, Hart InterCivic, an Austin-based company specializing in election management and e-government solutions.
"With this solution, Texas will lead the country as the state with the most advanced, secure and accurate system for maintaining the highest level of voter integrity," said Secretary of State Roger Williams. "We selected IBM for its global leadership in system integration, application development and e-government solutions, and sub-contractor Hart InterCivic for its in-depth elections management expertise."
The new system will help Texas meet the requirements of the national Help America Vote Act of 2002. HAVA requires that, for the 2006 election, states must have a statewide, centralized voter registration database and provide provisional ballots to voters whose names do not appear on voter rolls.
In most states, voter registration data has been maintained at the local level. The increasing mobility of the population results in voter registration files that are quickly outdated, increasing the complexity of voter registration management and the possibility of voter fraud or inaccuracies.
Through the development of the statewide voter registration system and increased standardization and communication among counties, election officials can identify and eliminate duplicate registrations while achieving increased efficiency and integrity in voter registration data management.
Under the contract, IBM will design, configure, and deploy the voter registration management solution infrastructure. Key features include:
- Voter registration and jury selection management functionality
- Validation and verification of voter information
- Centralized, standardized security
- Near real-time message queue architecture for data processing and online validation
- Statewide voter registration tracking to eliminate redundancies
- Data analysis and reporting capabilities
- Local and mass printing capabilities
- Imaging storage and retrieval capabilities
- Geographical information system capabilities for spatial analysis.
"The overall solution will not only enable Texas to be HAVA compliant by 2006, it will also bring enhanced functionality, security and reliability to Texas' statewide voter registration management process," said Frank Marzolini, partner, IBM Public Sector. "IBM, with Hart InterCivic and our partners, is uniquely positioned to deliver a solution that is truly designed for a seamless statewide function, rather than disparate county requirements."
Hart InterCivic's eRegistry software for voter registration and election management will serve a significant role in the overall solution, providing features and modules to support the Texas Secretary of State and local election offices as they integrate with HAVA-compliant initiatives.
"We are extremely pleased to be working with IBM to provide a robust voter registration solution to the State of Texas using our eRegistry software," said Jerry Meadows, Sr. Vice President of Election Solutions for Hart InterCivic. "We look forward to providing Texas with an easy-to-use system that will reduce paperwork, increase accuracy of the data and integrate disparate databases into one system.
