Utah GOP Convention Sees Record-breaking Participation Thanks to Biometric e-Voting Platform

The Utah Republican Party saw record-breaking participation in its convention voting this year, and much of the credit seems due to Voatz and its eponymous mobile voting platform.

In a statement, Voatz announced that the state’s GOP convention saw a 93 percent participation rate in votes aimed at narrowing the field for upcoming elections including state governor and the fourth Congressional seat. The company’s platform saw 7,430 delegates credentialed, and also facilitate the introduction of a ranked ballot system in which voters got to order their preferences for candidate selection.

While those who did not opt to use the Voatz app could still vote by calling a help desk, the remarkable participation rate is all the more striking for breaking records during a time of social distancing prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, it’s because of the pandemic that state organizers contracted Voatz’s services at the end of March, seeing the company’s mobile voting platform – which uses biometrics to authenticate voters – as a technological solution to the practical barriers brought about by COVID-19.

“The Voatz platform made possible the remote verification and voting processes for thousands of statewide delegates, allowing them to participate from the ease of their mobile phones,” commented Utah Republican Party Chairman Derek Brown, adding later, “This experience was not only positive, but has opened our eyes to ways that we can operate in the future to ensure that more delegates are able to participate in the process.”

Having closed this past weekend, the convention’s electoral results will now be audited by the National Cybersecurity Center along with citizen oversight, with results of the audit to be made public at a later date.

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April 30, 2020 – by Alex Perala