Northgate details election business manifesto

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By Team Register • Get more from this author

Posted in Public Sector, 6th November 2007 10:16 GMT

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Public sector services firm Northgate is eying up the election business, kit and caboodle. A senior executive told The Register this week that the firm is looking at becoming "the whole package" for electronic voting.

Russell Osbourne, MD of land and property, said the company is exploring how it might expand its involvement in the technology of the election business. It currently provides administration software, but Osbourne told us his company was interested in providing the physical technology to collect and count votes electronically as well.

"Whether it is something we make or something we provide from a third party, our intention is that you will be able to come to Northgate and get everything, the whole package," he said.

Osbourne tacitly acknowledged the vote counting debacle in Scotland, saying that while technology ("intelligent kiosks or whatever it might be") would almost inevitably make its way into elections, "it needs to be transparent, open and visible" in the way it does so.

He added that his company works closely with the Ministry of Justice and the Association of Electoral Administrators when developing products.

He made his remarks as the firm launched the latest version of its election management software. The product is an update to the Pickwick elections administration system which it brought under its umbrella two and a half years ago with the acquisition of the company.

"It is something of a rewrite for the PC based, mouse driven age," he added.

You can read the firm's product announcement here. ®

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