Electronic voting is increasingly used in various settings, from government elections to corporate boardrooms. But how does it stack up against traditional voting methods like voice voting or a show of hands? Here are the pros and cons of e-voting, particularly in the context of business, town, and organizational meetings.
With the Fall season getting into full swing, we’ve been hard at work helping organizations, small governments, and businesses alike to modernize the way they collect and tabulate votes. Over the past few months, we made appearances at the NECA 29th annual convention, Rehoboth’s 2024 Special Town Meeting, as well as our debut appearance at the Maine Municipal Association Convention, where we’ve been introducing town clerks and local government admins to the world of electronic voting!
As a newcomer to the world of electronic voting, the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AEAONMS) had several unique conditions for their 131st imperial council session on August 20th. Convening at the Sheraton and Marriott hotels in New Orleans, the organization utilized TownVOTE during two electoral voting sessions for the Nobles and Daughters of the Order. The system handled the tasks with ease, automatically counting the votes of almost 2,000 delegates in a large conference room venue.
We’re happy to announce that as of August 2024, over 70 New England towns are now utilizing TownVOTE electronic voting system! Marblehead chose a semi-permanent multi-building installation, while Westford battled two postponements and finally held their vote in a football field. We also welcomed 10 new towns to our Meridia family and in time for the spring town meeting season.
We’ve had our hands full in the month of July, as we provided on-site technical support for two high profile clients: the American Postal Workers’ Union (APWU), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Utilizing TownVOTE, the two organizations voted electronically on various articles and motions, streamlining their voting process and achieving a highly accurate result on particularly contentious votes.
As fall town meeting season draws near, we’ve been hard at work providing on-site technical support for voting sessions of all sizes. We had incredible success working with two high profile organizations – the NAACP and Moravian Church Synod, and aim to continue the trend as New England towns get ready to utilize electronic voting in their town meetings to vote on important issues that affect their communities.
As the NAACP’s biggest event of the year and second in-person meeting since 2019, the stakes were high during the organization’s 114th national convention held in Boston. Starting on July 28th and running till August 1st, hundreds of voting delegates convened in Boston to vote on a variety of hot-button topics like LGBTQ+ rights, gun control, environmental protection, police training, and more.
In a world where technology is rapidly shaping various aspects of our lives, it comes as no surprise that even traditional institutions like the Moravian Church are embracing digital innovations. The recent Moravian Church Synod held in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, made waves by adopting an electronic voting system. This move marked a significant step forward, streamlining the voting process and ensuring greater inclusivity and transparency within the congregation.
Whether it be Seventh Day Adventists, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, or the Snoqualmie Indian tribe, religious and tribal organizations across the country are meeting to elect officials and make important decisions for the future. That’s why religious and tribal groups of all sizes have been making the switch to Meridia’s TownVOTE electronic voting system, which proved to be the perfect alternative to the time-consuming process of counting votes manually.
Since April, over 20 New England towns have conducted their annual meetings with the help of TownVOTE electronic voting software. Once a year (and sometimes more) towns across Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut come together in a formal setting to discuss, debate, and decide on matters that impact their lives and communities.
