Texas Selects IBM for Voter Registration Management System

The Office of the Texas Secretary of State has selected IBM (www.ibm.com) to assist in developing and implementing a statewide, Web-based solution to make voter registration management efficient, easier and more accurate.

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 Roger Williams, Texas' 105th Secretary of State.

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 The increasing mobility of the population results in voter registration files that are quickly outdated, increasing the complexity of voter registration management and the possibility of voter fraud or inaccuracies.

"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.

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.

Hart InterCivic's eRegistry(TM) 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.