Omaha, Nebraska, Jan. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Election Systems & Software (ES&S) announced the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) federal certification of two new voting system releases — ES&S EVS 6200 and EVS 6060. These new releases include a suite of fully integrated election management products enhanced to improve speed and usability for election officials and voters. The releases also include federal certification of the DS950® — a new high-speed central count scanner and tabulator.
“Security, accuracy, usability and reliability are the cornerstone of our latest releases,” said Tim Hallett, ES&S Vice President of Certification. “EVS 6200 and EVS 6060 represent thousands of hours of development, programming and testing, culminating with the EAC testing and certification. We are thrilled to offer election officials the enhanced speed, accuracy and security these releases bring to both tabulation and reporting.”
ES&S EVS 6200 offers several performance enhancements which allow the Electionware® election management software to process data more quickly and efficiently – providing election officials access to important election information in a timely manner. The release was designed to accommodate many unique election types, integrating many state-specific requirements necessary to support a variety of elections into one streamlined product. Among its many offerings, the suite includes expanded support for risk-limiting audits (RLAs), improved ballot layout options, and enhancements for multi-page elections and ballot card capacity.
ES&S EVS 6060 also includes multiple software enhancements to the ES&S product line. The release leverages the robust architecture of the Microsoft Windows® 10 Enterprise LTSC operating system to optimize performance and apply the latest security updates. EVS 6060 includes the use of a new line of encrypted USB flash drives with modernized USB 3.0 capabilities, increasing storage capacity and processing speeds. These industrial-grade media add an extra layer of versatility and security to local elections.
“Our developers focused on streamlining the performance of both EVS 6200 and EVS 6060 to improve the experience for local election officials,” said Victor Williams, ES&S Senior Vice President of Product Development. “We were able to optimize Electionware and make significant performance improvements. We look forward to seeing these enhancements improve the experience for election officials on Election Day.”
Both EVS 6200 and EVS 6060 include the new DS950 high-speed scanner and tabulator – the most advanced central count tabulator on the market today. The machine meets the nation’s increasing demand for reliable, accurate paper ballot scanning with customizable, full-speed sorting capabilities. The machine’s enhanced design and ballot control capabilities allow ballots to be read without scanning interruptions. ES&S’ patented, embedded Intelligent Mark Recognition (IMR®) and Positive Target Recognition & Alignment Compensation (PTRAC®) technologies reduce the number of ballots requiring time-consuming manual adjudication.
“The DS950 was specifically designed with the future of elections in mind,” said Jim Schmidt, ES&S Executive Vice President of Operations. “This scanner is purpose-built and engineered with industrial-grade components to ensure reliability and sustainability for many years.”
In addition to federal certification by the EAC, each individual state has its own process and requirements for certification. State certification is now underway for EVS 6200 in seven states, and EVS 6060 is pending in two others.
ABOUT ES&S: Election Systems & Software (ES&S) is the nation’s leading voting systems manufacturer. For more than 40 years, ES&S has been supporting elections by creating and providing secure, accurate and accessible voting equipment to jurisdictions across the country. Learn more about ES&S at www.essvote.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/essvote.