Touch Screen Voting Machines and Absentee Ballot Counters Will Offer a Proven, Secure Voting Solution for South Carolina Voters

OMAHA, Neb.(BUSINESS WIRE)Aug. 4, 2004South Carolina's State Election Commission announced today that the state has ed Election Systems & Software (ES&S) to implement a new voting system statewide. Beginning this November, 15 South Carolina counties will use ES&S' iVotronic(TM) touch screen voting machines to cast their votes, and absentee votes will be tabulated using ES&S Model 100 and Model 650 Absentee Ballot Counters. South Carolina's other counties will begin using the new technology in 2005.

"Over the past 20 years, ES&S has provided secure, reliable election systems and exceptional service to 18 of our counties," said Marci Andino, South Carolina's state elections director. "We look forward to continuing that success as we bring the entire state into the future with the ES&S state-of-the-art voting technology."

As part of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, states and counties nationwide are upgrading voting systems to improve the voting experience and increase accessibility for voters with special needs. The new ES&S system will accomplish that goal through a comprehensive, uniform statewide election system including an integrated election management system, hardware, software, and on-site support. The entire system will interact securely, without relying on dial-up connections or data transfers, which means that the state and the counties will be able to generate results and reports more quickly and efficiently.

"This is a proud day for ES&S, and it confirms our position as an innovation and technology leader. We look forward to helping South Carolina transition to the latest in voting technology," said ES&S President and CEO Aldo Tesi. "Consistent with ES&S' strong commitment to enhancing the voting experience for all voters, we are very pleased to be a part of this important improvement in South Carolina."

At the local level, each county will use a system composed of the ES&S iVotronic, the latest in touch screen voting technology, as well as a Model 100 or Model 650 Absentee Ballot Counter, which will be ed depending on each county's historical average absentee ballot turnout. The iVotronic touch screen voting equipment will ensure that more South Carolinians will be able to take advantage of our special privilege of voting. The iVotronic's patented, ADA-compliant Audio Ballot Feature enables visually impaired voters to vote in complete privacy. Candidate choices and instructions are presented to the voter through headphones.

Both the iVotronic and Model 100 and Model 650 Absentee Ballot Counters also contain numerous security features. For example, the devices contain safeguards which prevent over-voting and alert voters and elections personnel to under-and over-voted races.

ES&S is a proven expert in the field of elections, providing safe, secure, and ever-improving voting solutions for more than three decades.

About Election Systems & Software (ES&S)

Election Systems & Software, Inc. (ES&S) is the world's largest and most experienced provider of total election management solutions. For more than three decades, ES&S - as an election-only company and the industry leader - has grown to support a customer base of more than 2,100 jurisdictions in the U.S. Based on the primary voting tabulation system installed within the United States, ES&S customers represent approximately 50 percent of the precincts and registered voters in the U.S. ES&S systems have counted approximately 56 percent of the U.S. national vote in each of the last four presidential and congressional elections, amounting to more than 100 million ballots cast in each election. For more information on ES&S election solutions, please visit the Web site at www.essvote.com or call 1-800-247-8683.

South Carolina System Components

ES&S iVotronic(TM) Touch Screen Voting System

More than 28,400 iVotronic(TM) Touch Screen Voting System units are used across the country. The patented ES&S iVotronic, which weighs only 14 pounds and has a 15-inch screen, is secure, portable, and multilingual. Its Audio Ballot feature easily supports voters who are visually impaired, and its portability enables curbside and wheelchair access voting. To ensure voter intent and ballot correctness, the iVotronic prevents the voter from over-voting and alerts the voter of under-voted races.

To achieve these results, the ES&S iVotronic Touch Screen Voting System uses a unique, patented Personal Electronic Ballot (PEB) activator cartridge. This patented, closed, election-specific system is not commercially available. The iVotronic voting units are multi-password protected, and they are not networked. In addition, ES&S' proprietary application protocols and secure, redundant memory devices make the company's voting solutions significantly less susceptible to external penetration.

ES&S Model 100 Absentee Ballot Counter

The ES&S Model 100 is a precinct-based, voter-activated paper ballot counter and vote tabulator. Utilizing advanced Intelligent Mark Recognition (IMR) visible light scanning technology, the Model 100 Precinct Ballot Counter is a proven mainstay for jurisdictions worldwide utilizing precinct level voting and tabulation. The Model 100 has been fully tested by an independent testing authority, certified to meet or exceed the rigorous standards of the U.S. Federal Election Commission, and proven through the use in thousands of actual elections worldwide. More than 21,200 Model 100 units are accurately and reliably supporting elections throughout the world today.

ES&S Model 650 Absentee Ballot Counter

The ES&S Model 650 is an easy-to-use, high-speed central paper ballot counter and vote tabulator that supports a full range of jurisdiction sizes and ballot complexities. The Model 650 with its advanced Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) scanning technology securely processes a variety of ballot lengths 14"/17"/19" all at a speed of over 300 ballots per minute. To ensure voter intent and ballot integrity, the Model 650 automatically alerts the operator of over-votes and blank or damaged ballots. The Model 650 Reporting System also has the capability to print Grand Total, Precinct-level, and Audit record reports with just the push of a button. Finally, the Model 650 is equipped with a back-up and recovery subsystem that provides for the reliable retention of data in the event of a power failure or mechanical error.