LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Last week eminent election leaders gathered in London for the annual meeting of the International Elections Advisory Council (IEAC). The council provides unrivalled insights to Smartmatic, the world’s leading election technology and services provider. Leaders in the field of election administration from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas gathered to discuss a wide array of election-related topics and focused on how technology can help to strengthen democracy globally.
The third annual meeting marked the appointment of two new members, Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega who previously served as Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Dr Leonardo Valdés Zurita, who served as President Councillor of the Federal Electoral Institute of Mexico.
Richard Soudriette, IEAC Chairman said: “We discussed how technology offers the opportunity to apply 21st century solutions to some of the challenging problems faced by election administrators. Our council members agreed that having the opportunity to use innovative technology can advance the field of election administration, enhancing transparency and trust.”
Soudriette served as founding president of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in Washington, D.C., from 1988-2007. Other IEAC members participating in the London meeting were Dr. Brigalia Bam, former Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa, Mr. Paul DeGregorio, former Commissioner of the United States Election Assistance Commission, Mr. Charles Lasham, former Chairman of the Association of Electoral Administrators of the UK, and Dr. S.Y. Quraishi, former Chief Election Commissioner of India.
“The IEAC gives Smartmatic a forum to talk to the foremost experts on elections. Council members have run the most complex elections around the world and can share their experiences, their insight and best practice,” said Antonio Mugica, Smartmatic’s CEO. “We want to draw on this expertise to support the design of effective and efficient election systems. Running elections is highly specialised so we want to learn from the best,” added Mugica.
Smartmatic’s Chairman Lord Mark Malloch-Brown added: “The creation of the IEAC demonstrates Smartmatic’s commitment to make the case about the importance of introducing technology into elections and to better understand its implementation in a way that is appropriate and effective.”
Founded in the USA in 2000, Smartmatic is the leading provider of voting technologies and solutions worldwide. Today, out of the eight countries pioneering election automation Smartmatic provides technology and services to six of them: Belgium, Brazil, Estonia, the Philippines, USA and Venezuela. The company has managed elections across five continents, processing over 2.5 billion votes. It serves customers through an organization comprising over 600 employees across 12 offices around the world. Smartmatic is headquartered in London, UK. For more information, visit www.smartmatic.com
